Minnesota Timberwolves Assistant Coach Micah Nori has quickly emerged as the top head coaching candidate for two teams. 

According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Nori, along with Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter and hawks assistant coach Ryan Schmidt, are among the top-three candidates for the the Chicago Bulls head coaching job. 

Stein and Fischer also reported that Nori, Splitter, and Boston’s assistant coach Tyler Lashbrook are also the potential frontrunners for the head coaching job in Portland. 

While in-person interviews are still ongoing, it seems more than likely that Nori will find himself in one of these two destinations in the near future. For the long-time assistant coach, Nori’s unique coaching path will set him apart from the rest of the candidates. 

Nori just finished his fifth year as the Timberwolves assistant coach. Now at 17 seasons across five different teams as an assistant, Nori has the chance to take over at the helm in the NBA for the first time. 

Despite playing basketball growing up, Nori was actually a baseball player coming out of high school. After playing baseball in Indiana and going to Miami University (Ohio) as a grad assistant, he eventually returned to his hometown of Middleton, Ohio, where he would get his first big break. 

Another Middleton native in Butch Carter, NFL Hall OF Famer Chris Carter’s brother and then Raptors Head Coach, offered him his first internship opportunity. Despite being out of the game for years, his responsibility centered around game preparation and “getting guys to play hard.” 

That mentality started a 15-year relationship with the Raptors, where he also worked in scouting operations and even formed a friendship with then Raptors guard Dell Curry and his two young sons Steph and Seth. After spending his last four seasons as their assistant coach there, he moved onto the Kings, Nuggets, Pistons, and finally the Timberwolves. 

Nori is a balanced coach who effectively blends a free-flowing offense and a disciplined defense. With many coaching influences such as Butch, Kevin O’Neill, and Dwayne Casey, Nori brings a creative craft to wherever he lands. 

Most notably however, it is his player-first mentality and friendship-forming abilities that has made him a clubhouse favorite. 

He has developed connections with his players like Nikola Jokić, who was his head coach in the 2015 Summer League and still remains close with, even if it’s a humorous friendship.

Factor in his whimsical remarks in sideline interviews, such as “we feel like popcorn during Saturday night movies,” and “our paint defense was like 7-Eleven, open 24 hours,” Nori has earned the right to be called the “Ted Lasso of the NBA.” 

Whether he lands the job in Portland or Chicago, Nori’s journey and creative approach to the game makes him a great fit for either team.