Karl returns to coaching with Nuggets

DENVER -- George Karl was hired as head coach of the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, returning to the NBA after nearly two years to take over a team that has failed to live up to lofty expectations.

The deal was finalized Thursday morning and announced in Milwaukee, where the Nuggets play the Bucks on Friday night.

Karl is expected to be on the bench for that game, making his debut with the Nuggets against the team that fired him in 2003. Interim coach Michael Cooper will stay on as an assistant.

"We are very excited to be adding a coach of George's stature to our organization," Denver general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said in a statement. "He has won everywhere he has been and his track record speaks for itself. We also want to commend Michael for the job he did under difficult circumstances."

Denver started the season as a favorite in the Western Conference after adding All-Star power forward Kenyon Martin to a team that was coming off its first playoff appearance in nine years.

The Nuggets still haven't lived up to that potential, entering Friday's game 17-25 and 12 1/2 games out of first place in the Northwest Division.

Hit hard by injuries and inconsistency, Denver got off to horrible start and never really recovered, costing coach Jeff Bzdelik his job on Dec. 28. The Nuggets have shown some improvement under Cooper, particularly on defense, but still only seem to play well in spurts, winning just four of 14 games since Bzdelik was fired.

Karl brings plenty of credibility with him.

He has won 708 games in 16 NBA seasons -- 13th in league history -- and helped Seattle reach the playoffs in 1991-92 after a 20-20 start. Karl also took the Sonics to the NBA Finals in 1996 and led them to at least 60 wins three times in five years.

Karl has clashed with some of his players, but an in-your-face style might be what the underachieving Nuggets need to break out of their doldrums.

Karl also has previous ties with the Nuggets. He has personal and business relationships with owner Stan Kroenke, and Nuggets coaching consultant Doug Moe was his coach with the San Antonio Spurs.

Karl served as an analyst for ESPN after the Bucks fired him in 2003, and his coaching career includes stops in Golden State, Cleveland, Spain and the CBA.