clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Casey to Return as Raptors' Head Coach for 2013-14 Season

Perhaps to no one's surprise, the Toronto Raptors are keeping Head Coach Dwane Casey around next season.

Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

No huge shock here but earlier this afternoon the Toronto Raptors made it official: Dwane Casey will be back as head coach of the Toronto Raptors next season.

Casey is still under contract but there was some debate after the dismissal (or, um, re-assignment) of Bryan Colangelo, as to whether or not new General Manager Masai Ujiri would make a coaching change. He hinted strongly at his introductory presser that Casey would be back, and therefore this news, via a press release sent by the team, seals the deal.

What does this mean for next season?

At face value, maybe not much. Casey may be instructed to coax a different style of play from his team, but unless major roster changes are forthcoming, it's hard to imagine a dramatic change in the way Casey coaches.

However talk about pressure for Casey.

Regardless of the changes Ujiri makes this off-season, keeping Casey gives the former Nuggets GM a "get out of jail free" card to play so to speak, if his immediate roster changes don't pan out.

And yet even if the team does have some modicum of success on-court next year, Ujiri is still free obviously to replace him at season's end.

Casey loved to talk "Pounding the Rock."

Well now he finds himself caught between that rock, and a hard place.