Report: Sixers Hire Doc Rivers to Coaching Deal

By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Sixers' coaching search has come to an end, and the finish has surprised everyone. After a shocking turn of events, Doc Rivers will become the next head coach of the Sixers.

Rivers was shockingly released by the Clippers and instantly became a favorite to take the vacant coaching spot in Philadelphia. After meeting with Elton Brand earlier this week, the two sides agreed to come together.

After a rapid courtship and negotiation, Doc Rivers has reached agreement on a deal to become the next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2020

It is not every day a team has a chance to add a Hall of Fame caliber coach, and the Sixers made the most of the opportunity. Rivers will be bringing with him 21 years of head coaching experience where he has coached in two NBA finals and won one in 2008.

In his time as a head coach, Rivers has posted a record of 943-681 and a playoff record of 91-89. Recency bias might make this move look questionable, but Rivers is a good choice to coach the Sixers.

Rivers brings a good mix of experience and success to this young Sixers' core. His ability to win in the regular season and the postseason makes him an ideal choice to be the coach to help the Sixers seriously contend for a championship.

One player that could get excited about this move is Tobias Harris. Before he was traded to the Sixers, Doc Rivers had Harris looking like an All-Star when he was on the Clippers.

Between his time with the Celtics and Clippers, Rivers has had success coaching a locker room filled with talent. After talk of accountability issues were brought up at the end of last season, bringing in a coach like Rivers could lead to a much-needed culture change.

Now that the Sixers have found their coach, it's time to shift the focus. If the Sixers are going to compete for titles moving forward, changes in the front office and roster still need to be made.