Brown’s Stephen Silas Named Head Coach of the Houston Rockets
 
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Former Brown basketball standout Stephen Silas has been named the 14th head coach of the NBA's Houston Rockets. Silas, who becomes the first Ivy League player to be named an NBA head coach, was the top assistant coach for Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle since 2018.
 
Recognized as a an exceptional defensive player at Brown, Silas played in 84 career games for the Bears from 1992-1996. He averaged nearly eight points per game as a senior and had 464 career points. He scored a career best 19 points vs. Yale and grabbed a career high eight rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
"I'd like to thank Mr. Fertitta and Rafael for this tremendous opportunity as well as all of the mentors I've had over the years, especially my dad, Paul," said Silas. "Basketball has been a huge part of my life since the day I was born and this is the moment I've strived for. I've been fortunate to have coached some great players over the course of my career and am excited to work with this incredibly talented team as we build upon the success they have established."
 
The 2019-20 season marked Silas' 19th as an assistant coach in the NBA.  His first stint as an assistant came with the original Charlotte Hornets in 2000-01 after being promoted from scout.  At the time, Silas was the youngest assistant coach in the league at 27.
 
Silas joined the Mavericks in 2018-19 and was tasked with helping improve the team's offense.  Dallas averaged 15.1 3-pointers made this past season, marking the most by any team in NBA history besides the Rockets. The Mavericks shot 36.7% from behind the arc, which is the highest percentage by any team which averaged at least 14.0 3FGM in league history.  Dallas also ranked second in the league in fewest turnovers (12.7 per game) and tied for third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94).
 
Prior to joining Dallas, Silas spent eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, including as their associate head coach during the 2017-18 season.  Silas spent four-and-a-half seasons as an assistant with Golden State from 2006-10 and was also on his father Paul Silas' staff in Cleveland during LeBron James' first two seasons in 2003-04 and 2004-05.