Jordan Bolsters Front Office but Wizards Still Await Coach

At least we know who the Washington Wizards’ coach isn’t going to be.

Michael Jordan, the team’s president of basketball operations, eliminated two candidates from contention Tuesday by appointing them to front-office positions.

Darrell Walker, the interim coach for the last 38 games of the season, was made director of player personnel, and Golden State assistant Rod Higgins was appointed assistant general manager.

Higgins was Jordan’s choice to be interim coach when Gar Heard was fired in midseason. But the Warriors wanted compensation, so Jordan hired Walker instead.

In a related move, Wes Unseld relinquished his position as general manger of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, handing the job to Mystic assistant coach Melissa McFerrin. Unseld will remain general manger of the Wizards.

The moves fulfill Jordan’s promise to upgrade the Wizards’ front office, which has been essentially a shoestring operation for many years. Unseld has been almost a one-man management firm, doing numerous jobs that are usually held by several people in other NBA and WNBA organizations.

“I believe I’ve assembled a very astute group of personnel to help me accomplish great things for this basketball franchise,” Jordan said in Washington. “This group possesses a great deal of NBA experience, energy and enthusiasm.”

Still to come is Jordan’s selection of a coach, with Lenny Wilkens apparently the only remaining candidate among those who have been mentioned publicly. John Paxson, Jordan’s former Chicago Bull teammate, declined an offer to join the Wizards’ organization, and St. John’s University officials have maintained that Red Storm Coach Mike Jarvis has not been interviewed by Jordan.

Jordan has said he would like to have a coach in place by Sunday’s draft lottery.

The Wizards also appointed Fred Whitfield as assistant for basketball operations and assistant general counsel. Whitfield spent the last four years with Nike.