On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers and general manager Mitch Kupchak made Byron Scott’s coaching staff official. About two weeks away from the start of training camp, Paul Pressey, Jim Eyen and Mark Madsen were announced as assistant coaches on Scott’s staff.
Of the three men, Madsen is the person closest to the current structure of the team. The former Stanford Cardinal worked under Mike D’Antoni in a player development role during the 2013-14 season. A fan favorite as a player, Madsen is trending in the right direction since taking off his dancing shoes and picking up a clipboard.
Pressey was previously with Scott in Cleveland, so he is a familiar voice for the Lakers’ latest head coach. Pressey spent 11 years in the NBA as a player, eight of which came in Milwaukee.
Eyen, the last of the three amigos, was an assistant with the Lakers from 1989 to 1991. Back then, Scott was still a player. Nearing three decades on the sidelines, the former University of California at Santa Barbara Gaucho is the most experienced assistant on the Lakers’ coaching staff.
Along with the three assistant, the Lakers also announced that Clay Moser, Larry Lewis, Thomas Scott, Tom Bialaszewski and J.J. Outlaw would all be part of the Lakers’ coaching staff. Bialaszewski and Outlaw were previously video coordinators with the team. Bialaszewski tended to also provide input on the clipboard, while Outlaw often acted as a practice player and provided extra support on the court.
Thomas Scott, the head coach’s son, will serve as a player development coach alongside Lewis. Lewis worked alongside Madsen during the 2013-14 season, but Madsen’s move upward has shuffled the Lakers’ coaching deck. The younger Scott is coming off two years as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League. During the 2013-14 season, Scott was on contract as an assistant with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate.
Moser, who has been with the Lakers since 2011, will continue on as the head NBA Advanced Scout for the Lakers.
“I’m excited to have completed my staff with a group of individuals who each possess unique skills, but all share my vision for the future of this team,” Scott said in a statement. “I can say with certainty that our staff is dedicated to upholding the winning culture and tradition of the Los Angeles Lakers.”
