Jeff Van Gundy will stay in the booth.
The former Rockets bench boss and current ESPN broadcaster is no longer in contention for a return to the sidelines he vacated in 2007, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski reports that both sides were interested in a reunion, but never sat down for a meeting. ESPN's Marc Stein adds that ownership wasn't sold on a reunion.
Van Gundy presided over the Rockets for four seasons during the Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady era. He guided the team to three playoff runs while amassing a record of 182-146.
General manager Daryl Morey and team owner Les Alexander will look elsewhere for the hire. They've interviewed David Blatt, Jeff Hornacek, Mike D'Antoni, Sam Cassell, Stephen Silas, and Chris Finch.