Sixers hire Popeye Jones as assistant coach

Former Pacers assistant Popeye Jones will join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff in Philadelphia, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A Sixers source confirmed the news to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Jones, who had been with Indiana since 2013, becomes the second former Pacers coach to work under Rivers, joining defensive specialist Dan Burke, who was hired last month. Sam Cassell, Dave Joerger and Brian Adams have also been added to Rivers’ staff.

Jones turned to coaching after playing 11 years in the NBA. He started as a player development coach with the Mavericks in 2007, then got his first job as an assistant with the Nets in 2010. He spent three years there before joining the Pacers.

Levick cited a 2019 interview in which Jones talked about his coaching influences:

“You try to take something away from each guy you played for, and that you worked for as a coach. There’s [Richard] Motta, my first coach — I take a lot from him. I played for Doug Collins, who I love, who’s a perfectionist. I take a lot from him. I worked for Rick Carlisle for a year. I worked for Avery Johnson, who came out of the San Antonio system under (Gregg Popovich). Frank Vogel, who was great in Indiana, I learned from him. And then there’s Nate (McMillan) … all those guys have been instrumental in developing me as a coach.”