The Portland Trail Blazers are narrowing their head coaching search down to just a few candidates.The Blazers are one of four teams, along with the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic, who are still looking for their head coach. There are six reported finalists for the search, so here is a ranking of each candidate and what they bring to Portland from worst to best.6. Mike Williams, Utah JazzPortland Trail Blazers have come away impressed by Utah Jazz assistant Mike Williams and he is among the final pool of candidates in consideration for the head coach opening, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/zptRGufkQ1— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 22, 2026Out of the coaches on this list, Williams is the least recognizable, but Portland has people in the building that know him very well. Williams served as a player development intern with the Blazers in 2018 before joining the Washington Wizards as a player development assistant for four years (2018-2022). During that time, he familiarized himself with Deni Avdija, who has now become the Blazers' top scorer. Williams was the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards' G League affiliate, from 2021-23 before joining Will Hardy's staff with the Utah Jazz.Williams is a young coach that could be a rising star in the league, but it's hard to see him becoming that right away with the Blazers if he became a head coach.5. Tyler Lashbrook, Boston CelticsAccording to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Blazers have conducted a formal interview with Boston Celtics assistant head coach Tyler Lashbrook. There’s a lot to untangle about the Blazers’ winding process here.Sources say that Celtics assistant coach Tyler Lashbrook has also advanced to an in-person interview with Portland for the team’s head coaching vacancy. More inside: https://t.co/45Ox51Tjs6 https://t.co/664uehZbmX— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) May 22, 2026Lashbrook, 34, Worked with the Philadelphia 76ers as a player development coach from 2018 to 2023 before joining the Boston Celtics in the same role for the 2023-24 campaign. He was promoted to become the head coach of the Maine Celtics in the G League for the 2024-25 season before joining Joe Mazzulla's staff in Beantown. Like Williams, Lashbrook appears to be somebody that isn't fully ready for a head coaching role in the NBA, but there is something to be said about the Blazers seeking out multiple young coaching minds as it could give a clearer vision into what the front office is looking for from their next staff.4. Jerry Stackhouse, Golden State WarriorsGolden State Warriors assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse against the Phoenix Suns | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesStackhouse matches the profile of Williams and Lashbrook as someone with zero games of head coaching experience in the NBA. The former No. 3 overall pick played in the league for 18 years and has over a decade of coaching experience in the NBA, college and G League.Stackhouse is a two-time NBA All-Star. During his time with the Detroit Pistons in 2000 and 2001, it led to a very successful playing career that ended in 2013. By 2015, Stackhouse entered the coaching circuit with the Toronto Raptors. A year later, he moved to the G League to join Raptors 905, where he served as their head coach for two seasons. In 2018, Stackhouse returned to the United States to coach the Memphis Grizzlies under JB Bickerstaff, who currently coaches the Pistons. His success in coaching helped him land a position as Vanderbilt's head coach, where he was from 2019-24, compiling a 70-92 record across five seasons.For the last two years, Stackhouse has been with Steve Kerr's Warriors staff, learning from one of the most decorated coaches in NBA history. Having that expertise could transform the Blazers and allow them to take that next step as a franchise.3. Micah Nori, Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori against the Phoenix Suns. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesNori is one of the most sought-after assistant coaches in this head-coaching cycle. He has served as an assistant coach in the NBA since 2009 with the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Pistons, and Timberwolves, where he has been since 2021 as Chris Finch's lead assistant. Finch and Nori have led a coaching staff that has led the Wolves to their greatest stretch of success in franchise history. The Wolves have been to the playoffs in each of the last five seasons and have reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025. There is a good chance that Nori becomes a head coach for one of the four teams looking for someone new. The Mavericks' hiring of Masai Ujiri to lead their front office could be a landing spot for Nori, considering his past with Toronto. Portland might need to act quickly if they want to bring Nori into the fold. 2. Jeff Van Gundy, Los Angeles ClippersLA Clippers lead assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy before the game against the Sacramento Kings. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesIt's been 19 years since Jeff Van Gundy was a head coach in the NBA, but that drought could end by the start of next season. Van Gundy has expressed interest in returning to the head coaching brotherhood in the NBA, and he is virtually a candidate for every opening in the league this offseason. Van Gundy's coaching career goes back to the 1980s, when he was an assistant for the New York Knicks under Pat Riley. Once Riley left for the Miami Heat, Van Gundy was named his replacement in 1996. In 1999, Van Gundy led the Knicks to the NBA Finals, but they lost to Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the San Antonio Spurs. He resigned as head coach in 2001 but returned to the role in 2003 with the Houston Rockets. Van Gundy was with the Rockets for four years before he was fired after three playoff series losses. Van Gundy worked as an analyst for ESPN from 2007-23, but once he was let go by the company, he returned to the coaching profession under Ty Lue with the Clippers.Van Gundy's experience and track record make him an attractive candidate for the Blazers, but the fact that he has not been a head coach for a while is a bit concerning. That being said, it's hard to look past his experience and knowledge, which could come in handy for Portland's future. 1. Tiago Splitter, Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter during the second half of game two. | Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesSplitter should be viewed as the favorite for the Blazers job. He did an incredible job given the circumstances upon his entrance into the role, and he hasn't done anything worthy of being dismissed except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.Splitter's candidacy comes at a time when the Blazers are transitioning from Jody Allen to Tom Dundon. As we have seen over the past couple of months, Dundon's arrival has shocked the franchise to its core, resulting in numerous cost-cutting measures and several layoffs within the front office. It's clear Dundon has a very different vision for the Blazers than the previous regime, which could lead him to go out and hire his own personal choice for the role. However, it isn't always the wisest thing to make a change. If the Blazers were to bring Splitter back, it would give the team a lot of optimism heading into the 2026-27 campaign. All of the progress they made from this past season can be built upon rather than risking it with someone new. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow