After missing the playoffs in two of their past three seasons, the Toronto Raptors moved on from head coach Nick Nurse this offseason. He’s since landed with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the Raptors still making progress, identifying finalists to coach the team in 2023 and beyond.
Whoever takes over the Raptors roster will be getting the chance to work with several talented pieces, including 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and two-time All-NBA member Pascal Siakam, among others.
The Raptors are casting a wide net in their search, even reaching out to Canadian legend Steve Nash about their vacancy. But the Basketball Hall of Famer isn’t the only candidate on Toronto’s radar.
Toronto is also targeting 2022 EuroCup champion Sergio Scariolo, who is currently the head coach of Virtus Bologna, an Italian basketball team who plays in the EuroLeague. But that name may be familiar to some Raptors fans, as Scariolo was an assistant on Nurse’s staff from 2018 to 2021 before joining Virtus Bologna on a three-year contract.
According to Andrea Tosi of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Scariolo is currently viewed as one of three finalists to land the Raptors’ coaching vacancy. The report adds that a final meeting is scheduled to help determine whether Scariolo is the right fit.
If the Raptors do hire Scariolo, he’d become the first NBA head coach in league history without an American or Canadian passport. While he’s never been an NBA head coach, Scariolo did get to spend one game in the leading role, a contest the Raptors won 122-111 back in February of 2021, when Nurse and five others missed the game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
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