Kings hire Mike Malone as head coach

Jun 3, 2013 - 8:00 PM Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - The Sacramento Kings officially named Michael Malone as their new head coach on Monday.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Malone was the top assistant to the Warriors' Mark Jackson the past two seasons. He was previously an assistant coach for the Knicks, Hornets and Cavaliers as well.

The sale of the Sacramento Kings to an investment group headed by Vivek Ranadive was completed last Friday.

"Michael Malone is one of the best and most talented coaches in the game," Ranadive said in a statement. "As Vice Chairman of the Warriors, I developed a great relationship with Coach Malone and witnessed first-hand how instrumental he was to the success of the team. His work ethic, passion, and vision for the game will create an entirely new culture and style of play. Hiring Coach Malone is our first step in giving the best fans in sports the excellence they deserve."

Malone becomes the Kings' 25th coach and replaces Keith Smart, who was informed by the new ownership that he would not return for the 2013-14 season. Smart went 48-93 in two seasons in Sacramento. The Kings finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 28-54 record in 2012-13.