Timberwolves hire Casey as new head coach

Casey comes to Minnesota after spending 11 years on the coaching staff of the Seattle SuperSonics, including the last four as associate head coach. Prior to joining Seattle for the 1994-95 campaign, he served as a head coach in Japan for five years.

The 48-year-old Casey starred at the University of Kentucky and helped the Wildcats to a national championship in 1978. He then began his coaching career at the school in 1979 as a graduate assistant.

Casey later became an assistant under Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky (1980-85), before serving on Eddie Sutton’s staff at Kentucky from 1985-1990.

Minnesota was in need of a full-time head coach after Flip Saunders was fired in mid-February. The Timberwolves were 25-26 when Saunders was dismissed and vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale took over for the remainder of the 2004-05 campaign.

Minnesota ended the season 44-38 and failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 1996. McHale stated all along that he did not want the head coaching job on a permanent basis.