3 Potential Replacements for Mike Woodson

James Borrego

James Borrego is currently the lead assistant coach on Willie Green's staff with the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to his time in the Big Easy, he was the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-2022. He led Buzz City to two straight play-in appearances in his final two seasons but was let go in April of 2022. Interesting enough, the Hornets were a solid 43-39 in his final season and were 8th in the league in offensive efficiency during that campaign. The team is 37-92 (28.7 winning %) and have been among the least efficient offensive teams in the NBA since his departure.

The 46-year-old Borrego seemed to have things on the upswing in Charlotte prior to his early termination, and it would be interesting to see how he would fare at the collegiate level (where he has never coached).

Terry Stotts

Would the 66-year-old proven NBA head coach venture to the college space? That much is unclear, but the possibility sparks a lot of intrigue in the old imagination.

Stotts has a 517-486 (51.5% winning %) record all-time as an NBA head coach, and chances are that he would prefer to coach at that level. However, after shockingly resigning from his duties as the lead assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the start of the current NBA season, he may be more open to exploring his options as it pertains to his next chapter. He definitely has a lot more coaching in him, and the reports of his rift with Adrian Griffin paint the picture of a man that desires to be in charge.

In Bloomington, he would have free reign in constructing the new era of Indiana basketball. Plus, he spent part of his upbringing in B-Town where he graduated from high school at Bloomington North. A return to his roots could be a refreshing way for Stotts to re-enter the head coaching regime, and supporting a resurgence in Bloom could help bolster his basketball legacy.