Report: Mike Brown a 'strong contender' to join Warriors

Having lost two prominent assistant coaches in the last two years, the Golden State Warriors have a sizable gap to fill on their coaching staff.

One solution is former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown. ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the defensively-minded Brown is a strong contender to join Steve Kerr's crew.

Brown boasts a lifetime record of 347-216 as a head coach, and enjoyed several 60-win seasons with the Cavaliers (LeBron James had something to do with that as well), and was even named Coach of the Year in 2009, but Brown faltered in Los Angeles which left him without a team last season.

Earlier reports suggested Brown and former Utah Jazz coach Ty Corbin were frontrunners to become the Warriors' lead assistant. With Corbin headed to Phoenix, Brown becomes the frontrunner.

Aside from leading one of the best teams in the league, being the head assistant for the Warriors carries a special spotlight. The last two coaches to have filled the spot - Alvin Gentry and Luke Walton - have both landed head coaching spots after only a year on the gig.