Detroit, MI
Former assistant returns to Detroit as Pistons finalize coaching staff
With about a week before the start of training camp for the 2024-25 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons have officially announced their new coaching staff, which includes the return of a familiar face.
On Monday, the Pistons announced that Luke Walton, Sidney Lowe, Fred Vinson, Vitaly Potapenko, Kevin Burleson, Jerome Allen, and Josh Estes will serve as assistant coaches under J.B. Bickerstaff, who is entering his first year in Detroit.
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Additionally, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi, who were part of former head coach Monty Williams’ staff, have been retained as assistant coaches. For the past two seasons, Jack has served as coach of the Pistons’ Summer League team.
Of the names mentioned, Allen, a veteran NBA assistant, is not only a familiar face in Detroit but also a name that hadn’t been previously reported as part of the new staff.
From 2021 to 2023, Allen served as an assistant under former head coach Dwane Casey. Despite working as a pro personnel scout for the Boston Celtics last season, Allen was regularly seen at Pistons games at Little Caesars Arena, largely because he remained in Detroit. He follows Sidney Lowe, who is now in his third stint with the Pistons.
Estes is another name not previously reported as part of Bickerstaff’s staff. He spent the last four seasons (2020-24) as a coaching analyst and analytics coordinator in Cleveland under Bickerstaff.
From 2019-20, Estes served as an assistant coach at Amherst College, helping lead the Mammoths to an 18-8 record and a semifinal appearance in the New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship. He also served as an assistant coach for the Brampton Honey Badgers in the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League season.
The Pistons will begin training camp and host media day on Sept. 30, where Bickerstaff, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, and the entire coaching staff are expected to speak.