It could be worse. The Clippers, who have reportedly narrowed their coaching search to two candidates, could have tabbed a guy who got into a physical altercation with his team’s general manager as their next coach. Or an assistant whose only NBA head coaching experience consisted of “leading” his team to 53 wins and 69 losses. 

Wait.

Those are the two candidates?

Since the conclusion of the regular season, the Clippers’ coaching search has teetered, at least publicly, between disinterested and corpse-like. They acquired three players (Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe and Willie Warren) in last Thursday’s draft with no coach in place. They watched the Bulls, Hawks, Hornets, Nets and Sixers hire new head men, insinuating that the wait is to maintain maneuverability when it comes to attracting one of the top-flight free agents (you know who). Yet less than a week from the official beginning of the Lebron James orgy, Los Angeles is allegedly deciding between Bulls reject Vinny Del Negro and journeyman Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey.     

Of course they are.

Del Negro, in two years with Chicago, was 82-82. He lost in the first round of the playoffs both times, including an entertaining 7-game series versus the Garnett-less Celtics in 2009. At times, though, the Bulls seemed to win in spite of Del Negro. They started this season 8-15 and by mid-December Del Negro was rumored to be a goner. By April, the Bulls were downplaying the significance of the erstwhile coach’s altercation with general manager John Paxson. Two months later: he’s a leading candidate for another job. That seems as reasonable as vampire-obsessed fans sleeping in a “tent city” for the “Twilight: Eclipse” premiere.

When the Clippers are involved, well, reason is tenuous. That’s probably why Casey is Del Negro’s only competition. Aside from a brief stretch in Minnesota, where he went 53-69, Casey’s only other head coaching job was a five-year stint in Japan. Inexplicably, Casey’s name emerged as a candidate for multiple openings, including the Hawks.

Even with Donald Sterling’s dubious reputation, Los Angeles enters the off-season with a chance to be a poor man’s Thunder; a young, energetic team with tons of salary cap flexibility. But they will inevitably destroy much of that potential by hiring the wrong coach. Jeff Van Gundy, Byron Scott and even Mike Woodson (who improved Atlanta’s record four consecutive years) could have offered immediate credibility. Del Negro and Casey offer little more than another excuse for losing.

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But wait, there are still other options. If Sterling and general manager Neil Olshey are willing to hire flatliners like Del Negro and Casey, it is likely to invoke tens of Clippers fans to revisit an old chant with a slightly new twist… “Re-hire Dun-leavy.”

Instead of digging up those old demons, they should take a more creative approach. If not Woodson, Van Gundy, etc., why not the following candidates?  Here are five guys they never considered and, at this rate, probably should have.

Norman Dale. Despite accosting a student-athlete in his last major college job, the former Hickory High School coach is a proven winner. He could provide an attention to detail that Clippers fans have not witnessed since Larry Brown. And he clearly proved he can get the most out of his players by defeating South Bend Central for the Indiana state championship using a seven-man roster. Hiring the ex-Husker would also mean adding offensive guru Wilbur “Shooter” Flatch to the staff. Even though Flatch was once hospitalized for alcohol abuse, he is still capable of designing out-of-bounds plays like the “picket fence” with Doc Rivers-like efficiency.

Frankie Muniz. Although he does not turn 25 until December, Muniz, a passionate ex-Clippers fan, could provide a needed jolt to the fledgling franchise. His age would be favorable for the future, especially considering six of the eight Clippers currently under contract are 25 or younger.

Jackie Moon. He showed flash, creativity and an ability to delegate authority as the one-time player-coach-owner of the Flint Tropics. Moon’s combination of basketball and business acumen is rarely seen at the NBA level. He once acquired a player (Ed Monix) for a washing machine and boosted attendance by promoting a postgame wrestling match with Dewey the bear.  

Cash Warren. At least, with Baron Davis’ friend and business partner pacing the sidelines it may ensure that the moody point guard consistently arrives at Staples Center with a smile. Warren is smart (a Yale graduate) and his two-year marriage to Jessica Alba, certainly means he is a persuasive fellow.

Michael Olowokandi. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft fits two important roles for the Clippers. First, he played in Los Angeles for four seasons, so he can relate to the rigors of losing over an 82-game schedule. Second, his presence on the sideline could provide an instant confidence boost to 2009 No. 1 pick Blake Griffin. The former Oklahoma star would certainly play with limited pressure knowing it would be next to impossible to be a bigger bust or letdown than his new coach. The downside, of course, is that he’s been out of the league for three years, which means younger fans may only recognize him as the failed lover of Suzie Ketcham, a cast member on the VH1 train wreck/reality show “Basketball Wives.”