Sean Marks, since his playing career ended in 2011, has risen quickly through the Spurs organization.
He spent one year as basketball operations assistant before being promoted to director of basketball operations. Last season, he served as assistant coach.
Now, he’s headed back upstairs.
Marks holds the same title as Scott Layden, who has contended to become the Pistons’ and Kings’ general manager. That Layden was in the running for those roles after his disastrous tenure running the Knicks speaks to how highly the position of Spurs assistant general manager is viewed around the league.
I wonder whether Marks’ foray into coaching was designed to prepare him for his current role or just a mid-career diversion that didn’t work out. If the former, he’ll be an even more attractive general-manager candidate. Increasingly, teams are valuing a strong connection between the front office and coaching staff, and now Marks has a better understanding of both sides.
He’s still relatively unproven, but the Spurs clearly think highly of him, and that speaks volumes.
