The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing for the 2022-23 NBA season, with the team holding Media Day on September 26th before opening up training camp on the 27th of September. Their preseason slate is set to open up on October 3rd as a precursor to their regular season opener on October 19th. The OKC Thunder have announced their coaching staff for the upcoming season.
Mark Daigneault enters his third season as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and has the full support of Thunder general manager Sam Presti to get this organization through this rebuild and into their next era of contending. While that contention is not set to happen this season, the OKC Thunder have equipped their bench boss with a great coaching staff.
The OKC Thunder announce changes to their coaching staff, hiring Chip Engelland and Grant Gibbs to the Thunder bench while promoting Kameron Woods to head coach of the OKC Blue
The Oklahoma City Thunder has officially announced the hiring of shooting expert Chip Engelland. The long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant coach left the organization following a 17-year stint that saw the Spurs win two NBA Championships during his tenure. Engelland totals 23 years of NBA coaching experience and has helped transform a lot of players shooting strokes. He will be tasked with improving the worst three-point shooting team from a year ago.
At his preseason Media Availability, Sam Presti praised Engelland “I think he does an excellent job of building relationships that allow people to improve..” Though results will not happen overnight, Engelland is a wonderful addition to Mark Daigneault’s staff.
Grant Gibbs served as the OKC Blue bench boss for the last three seasons, including a trip to the inaugural NBA G-League Showcase Championship last December, now Gibbs joins Mark Daigneault’s staff at the NBA level. Gibbs has been part of the OKC Thunder organization since 2017 with the OKC Blue.
Filling the void of OKC Blue head coach will be Kameron Woods, who is one of the brightest young defensive minds in the game, helping lift the Thunder to a top ten defense for the majority of last season. Woods was entrusted to head up the OKC Thunder Summer League squad just a few months ago, and that helped prepare him to be the head man for the Blue. Woods is a fast riser in the coaching ranks and even played for the OKC Blue from 2015-17.
The OKC Thunder coaching staff is set with Mark Daigneault as the headman, Chip Engelland, Grant Gibbs, Dave Bliss, Mike Wilks, and David Akinyooye. Eric Maynor and Connor Johnson are also on staff to help player development.