The Golden State Warriors have a number of decisions to make this offseason, including whether or not to part ways with head coach Steve Kerr after 12 seasons and four NBA championships.
Questions loom about Kerr's future with the Warriors. His contract expires this summer. Even he was uncertain on what would transpire in the next days, weeks or months.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date," Kerr told reporters after the Warriors ended their season with a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
"There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that. And if that's the case, I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in The Bay, and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray, the whole group. So it might still go on. May not, I don't know at this point, but we all need to step away a little bit and then reconvene."
However, it seems that signs are pointing towards Kerr not working out a deal to return to the Warriors, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole. Poole reported that the Warriors' coach would not be brought back unless Kerr had a "renewed faith in his role as the franchise shifts toward the future."
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"I want coach to be happy, I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he's the right guy for the job. I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does, so whatever that means for him," Curry said. "However it goes, you're thankful for what we've been able to accomplish over this run, thankful for an opportunity, hopefully, to put it together, do something again next year."
In their NBA Play-In loss, potentially their final game together, Kerr embraced Curry and Draymond Green moments before the conclusion of the game and said, "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you."
"I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I love you guys." 🥹 https://t.co/GyFAlQRjIx pic.twitter.com/KlInPGTZs1
Green, too, is hopeful that Kerr, and himself, will be back with the Warriors next season. However, Green said he doesn't believe that his coach since 2014 is coming back.
On an episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors forward gave his honest opinion about Kerr's future based on conversations he's heard and the energy around the topic.
"If you ask me, I don't know that he's coming back," Green said about Kerr's future with Golden State. "If you want my opinion, just all the talk that's been going around... I think not. It just feels like that I don't know. I hope he's our coach next year."
He added: "I don't know man, it felt like that was it. Is it? I don't know. Like I said, I hope not. But for some reason it just felt like that was it and if it was man what a run it’s been. I’m so lucky to have had for 12 years Steve as my coach.
The Warriors are Kerr's first-and-only coaching experience, which began in the 2014-15 season. He has a 604-353 (.631) coaching record in regular-season games. His postseason record is 104-48 (.684).
Kerr was named the 2016 NBA Coach of the Year. He coached Golden State to a NBA-record, 73 wins, which was a record previously held by the 1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games. Kerr was a backup point guard on that Bulls team.
Kerr coached the Warriors to four NBA titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. He was named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History in 2021.
If Kerr isn't back with the Warriors, there would be a handful of suitors for him and ideal replacements to succeed the coach as the mastermind of Golden State basketball.
According to Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, the Warriors will pursue University of Florida head coach Todd Golden if Kerr does not return.
Golden coached at the University of San Francisco for three seasons before leaving for Florida and reportedly has a relationship with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and his family.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr rumors: Will he return to Golden State?