O'Koren, McKie to assist Jordan with 76ers

Eddie Jordan, who will be introduced today as the 76ers' next coach, already has lined up two assistants.

Mike O'Koren, who was Jordan's assistant with the Washington Wizards before they were fired about six months ago, will join the staff, a source close to the situation confirmed.

Jordan will retain Aaron McKie, an assistant last season to both Tony DiLeo, who withdrew his name from consideration to remain head coach, and the fired Maurice Cheeks. McKie played on the Sixers team that went to the 2001 NBA Finals.

The rest of Jordan's assistants have yet to be hired.

Today's noon news conference, in the Wachovia Center's Hall of Fame Room, will make official Jordan's three-year, $8.1 million deal, which was reached Friday.

It also will be the first time in three weeks, since DiLeo took himself out of the running, that general manager Ed Stefanski will speak on the record about the search and his choice of the 54-year-old Jordan, with whom he worked in New Jersey.

Word of Jordan's agreement leaked Friday night, and the Sixers issued a news release a few hours later.

Jordan's career coaching record is 230-288 with the Sacramento Kings (1996-98) and the Wizards (2003-09). In his five-plus seasons in Washington, Jordan's teams made four playoff appearances.

Between his previous head-coaching gigs, Jordan was an assistant coach with the Nets while Stefanski was assistant general manager. The two worked together there for four seasons, helping the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals.

O'Koren also is a former Nets assistant. The three-time all-American forward at North Carolina played in eight NBA seasons during the 1980s - seven with New Jersey and one with Washington.

Jordan's name had been linked to the Sixers' opening since Stefanski fired Cheeks on Dec. 13. Jordan was the first candidate Stefanski interviewed and one of only two - along with Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Dwane Casey - to earn a second interview.

Stefanski also interviewed Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau, Los Angeles assistant Kurt Rambis, in-house candidate Chris Ford, and Villanova coach Jay Wright.