Potential head coaches for Pistons, including 'a Dan Campbell type hire'

With Monty Williams out, who's in? That's the next question for the Pistons under new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon. Jon Jansen is "looking for a guy who can find ways to get eight or nine guys to gel and look like a competent team." Jim Costa wants "someone who can elevate a young roster" by playing "old-school defensively and modern offensively."

They run through a list of candidates below, offering a thumbs-up or thumbs-down for each potential hire.

James Borrego, Pelicans assistant coach
Jansen: Thumbs up. "The offensive style in the NBA has been revamped the past decade and the Pistons have never been that dynamic offense with stud three-point shooters. I think Borrego, who is of an offensive mindset, would bring that and a familiarity with Langdon."

Costa: Thumbs down. "If you lose a locker room in Charlotte, I am nervous about you leading a young team. I get the familairity with Langdon, but I would challenge him to hire the right guy, not his friend."

J.B. Bickerstaff, former Cavaliers head coach
Costa: Thumbs up. "Serious coach, basketball guy, defense, threes, young backcourt, modern bigs who can shoot and a guy who saw progress in Cleveland."

Jansen: Thumbs up . "I like the progression (in Cleveland), the fact that he took over a young team. He’s a guy who can relate to the young player, improved young players, got to the playoffs. Are we looking at a guy who can take them to the world championship, or just make them better?

Chris Quinn, Heat assistant coach
Jansen: Thumbs down. "He was a name that was talked about a lot before they went with Monty, on Erik Spoelstra’s staff, a guy that has been mentored by one of the best coaches in the NBA. I don’t have a specific reason, other than I don’t know that he's ready yet to take over a team as bad as the Pistons."

Costa: Thumbs up. " Miami is a world-class organization. You’d be taking a risk, wouldn't be my No. 1 candidate, but this would be a thumbs up."

Sam Cassell, Celtics assistant coach

Jansen: Thumbs up. "A former player who now has a track record as an assistant coach, this seems like a very Dan Campbell type hire. A guy who would have instant credibility with the guys because, ‘I’ve done it as an assistant coach, I’ve been around, I’ve learned a lot of things but I was also able to do it as a player.’ There are a number of former players who have been successful as coaches in the NBA. And this is where the Pistons are. You’re talking about, how do you relate to a young roster? And I think Sam Cassell could be one of those guys to make that connection."

Costa: Thumbs up. "Bounced around a little, bulldog of a point guard, I’d be open to it. Again, you have to know where you are in the NBA. You are the Detroit Pistons -- beggars can’t be choosers. I’d be open o giving Cassell a shot.

JJ Reddick, brodcaster
Jansen: Thumbs down. "This one is such a wild card. I don’t want to be the one that breaks him in and finds out whether he’s good or not. I don’t want to go down this road."

Costa: Thumbs down. "Unless you’re doing this galaxy brain thing where you’re getting LeBon and Bronny, and then I think we’re in such a nonsense space. He belongs in podcasting, where we do nonsense. That’s our gig, not coaching an NBA team."

Mark Jackson, broadcaster former head coach of Warriors
Costa: Thumbs down. "He’s been away from the game for a bit, Golden State got better when they moved on from him."

Jansen: Thumbs up. "They got better because they got older and developed more. I would be OK with this. I originally thought thumbs down, but I'll go back to, you need a guy that can relate to young players but also has a hard line, and I think MJ walks that fine line. Young players need to know where the expectations are.

Jeff Van Gundy, broadcaster, former head coach
Costa: Thumbs down. "I liked him as an analyst."

Jansen: Thumbs down. "We went down that road with Stan."

Nate Oats, Alabama head coach
Costa: Thumbs down. "Not serious enough of a hire."

Jansen: Thumbs down.

Juwan Howard, former Michigan head coach
Jansen: Thumbs down. "I don’t want any part of it.

Costa: Thumbs down. " We just got done saying we need an adult in the room."

Tom Izzo, Michigan State head coach
Jansen: Thumbs down. "Stop it."

Costa: Thumbs down.

Becky Hammon, WNBA Aces head coach
Jansen: "If you’re going to a coaching tree, I would definitely look at and interview anyone that has been around Greg Popovich for any length of time and see if you could tap into that knowledge. I would definitely interview her. I don't know that with this roster and the way it’s constructed, that’s the way I would go."

Costa: "The elephant in the room is, she’s a woman. But I would tell you this -- before everybody cancels me -- women can teach just the same way men can. You don’t have to have played (in the NBA). Bill Belichick wasn’t some successful NFL player. If you can teach and show people how to get better at what they struggle with, you can coach. So I wouldn’t rule her out, absolutely not. This isn’t a hard no, but it’s a thumbs down. There are better candidates."