CHICAGO (AP) - Former NBA coaches Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff are returning to the sidelines, this time as assistants under new Chicago Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro.
Harris and Bickerstaff will be joined by Bob Ociepka, an assistant the past two seasons with Minnesota, and holdover Pete Myers, the Bulls said Thursday."When I first accepted this position, I made it a top priority to surround myself with an experienced coaching staff," Del Negro said in a statement. "Now, with the hiring of Del Harris, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka and current assistant coach Pete Myers, you would be hard pressed to find a staff with the combined number of years experience that we have assembled."
Harris was a consultant with the Dallas Mavericks last season after spending seven years as an assistant under Don Nelson and Avery Johnson. He is 556-457 in 13-plus seasons as a head coach with Houston, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the Rockets to the NBA finals in 1981.
Bickerstaff served as head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats their first three years before becoming executive vice president of basketball operations last season. He has a 415-517 record in 13-plus seasons as a head coach with Seattle, Denver, Washington and Charlotte.
Myers is returning for his eighth season as a Bulls assistant and ninth in the organization. Ociepka, a Chicago native, has spent 19 seasons as an NBA assistant with stops at Indiana, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Minnesota.
