SACRAMENTO, June 10 (UPI) -- The NBA's Sacramento Kings named Paul Westphal the team's new coach Wednesday, replacing interim Coach Kenny Natt.
Westphal was executive vice president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks last season. Previously, he coached at Pepperdine University, the Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns.
He spent 12 seasons in the NBA as a player (1972-84), including five as an all-star, following a stellar collegiate career at the University of California.
"I'm really excited," Westphal said on Sacramento's Web site. "This is a great opportunity and I really appreciate the confidence the (team owners) Maloofs and Geoff Petrie are showing in me. I can't wait to get to work."
"We set some parameters at the start of this coaching search to look for a successful, experienced leader and Paul certainly meets those qualifications," said Geoff Petrie, president of basketball operations. "He has a wealth of experience in the NBA as both a coach and player."
Under the guidance of Natt and the fired Reggie Theus, the Kings recorded a dismal 17-65 record last season.
