Thunder’s Brooks moving up coaching list

The Cavaliers’ firing of Mike Brown on Monday means the Thunder’s Scott Brooks moves even higher up the list. Brooks, who just completed his first full season as the Thunder coach, now stands 17th in the NBA in coaching longevity at his current job.

Believe it or not, 13 NBA teams have made coaching changes since the Thunder elevated Brooks to the job in November 2008. Welcome to the volatile world of NBA coaching.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks, right, accepts the Red Auerbach trophy as the 2009-2010 NBA Coach of the Year from NBA commissioner David Stern before game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Thunder in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams) ORG XMIT: OKAA101

And of the 16 who have been on the job longer than Brooks, six have only 13 games on him. The Thunder was 13 games into the 2008-09 when P.J. Carlesimo was fired and Brooks was elevated; Dallas’ Rick Carlisle, Phoenix’s Alvin Gentry, the Knickerbockers’ Mike D’Antoni, Milwaukee’s Scott Skiles, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Charlotte’s Larry Brown each just completed their second full season on the job.