Michael Curry hasn't yet interviewed with Sixers

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ORLANDO – The Sixers’ coaching search continues with each passing day and does so in relative secrecy.

Thirteen head coaching vacancies have opened up this offseason and 12 of those jobs have been filled.

The Sixers remain the lone opening and figuring out whom the franchise will tab is anyone’s guess.

Michael Curry served as Doug Collins’ associate head coach. Curry was head coach of the Detroit Pistons in 2008-09 and finished the season with 39-43 record before being fired.

Curry has a year left on his contract along with other assistants Jeff Capel and Aaron McKie. Curry was given the reigns to coach the Sixers’ team in the Orlando Pro Summer League. However, he has not formally interviewed for the position with president and general manager Sam Hinkie.

“Sam and I, we have talked about it. Sometime after the summer league it will happen,” Curry said after the Sixers’ 74-62 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday. “I knew that when he and I first talked that it was going to be a long process and I am under contract, so I said I will be here working every day.

“I said you let me know when you want to talk, and to me every day that you are working you are doing an interview. That is how I have approached it, just go to work every day.”

A year ago, Curry interviewed for the Orlando Magic head coaching position before Jacque Vaughn was hired. This offseason, Curry also interviewed with Milwaukee before Larry Drew was named the Bucks’ new head coach.

Curry is meticulous with his craft. He is definitely a teacher and holds professionalism in high regard. Curry talks to the media daily following each summer league contest and always has the big picture in mind in addition to comments about the game.

“Guys are going to have to play hard and compete every time out on the court,” Curry said. “You can’t make a lot of mental mistakes, especially when you get fatigued. With young guys that is always the challenge, to play through fatigue.

“We have had a lot of practices in the morning and then coming here. But we are not going to let up on them. We are using these 10 days to push them and really identify what they need to work on and they can really identify how hard it is going to be to be successful in this league.”

Curry’s words sound similar to those Hinkie has used when talking about player development, suggesting the two share similar philosophies about how the team should move forward.

Meanwhile sports columnist Peter Vecsey tweeted Wednesday that a source said Hinkie is considering hiring Lloyd Pierce as head coach.

Pierce is an assistant coach with the Grizzlies. He previously worked with the Cavaliers and Warriors in player development. He played his college basketball at Santa Clara, graduating in 1998 and began his coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant in 2003 after spending one year as the program’s director of basketball operations.

One NBA source said Pierce is a highly valued player development guy, but that he would be shocked if the Sixers hired him as their head coach.

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