Stan Van Gundy is one of the last remaining top NBA broadcasters at TNT Sports without a home locked in for next season, when the network will lose NBA broadcast rights for the first time in three decades.
The former Heat, Magic, Pistons and Pelicans coach has watched his broadcast partners Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan reportedly jump to Amazon, while fellow analyst Reggie Miller is on his way to NBC.
With the song nearing an end on NBA media musical chairs, Van Gundy is eager to find a new job for the 2025-26 season. And unlike his brother Jeff — who recently re-entered NBA life as a consultant for the Boston Celtics and now an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers after being laid off by ESPN in 2023 — Stan is comfortable calling games as long as he can do it.
Van Gundy discussed his career prospects on the latest episode of The Varsity podcast with Puck’s John Ourand.
“I hope to be working, I really want to be working, and I would love it to still be in the NBA,” Van Gundy said. “It’s what I know best, it’s what I think I do best. And I’m hoping that will work out with somebody.”
Van Gundy also calls NCAA tournament games for CBS as part of the network’s partnership with TNT Sports during March Madness. He coached at UMass-Lowell and Wisconsin before Pat Riley brought him to South Florida in the mid-1990s.
The elder Van Gundy compared his hopes for a broadcasting job to vying for a coaching gig before leaving the Pelicans in 2021.
“There are far more qualified and outstanding people than their are jobs,” Van Gundy said. “So I’m not naive enough to think that, ‘Oh, look who I am and I did this and somebody will hire me.'”
While Van Gundy acknowledged his “addiction” might take hold if an NBA team came calling about a head coaching position, he doesn’t project to move on from broadcasting for a consulting or assistant coaching role any time soon. Despite his brother winning an NBA championship in Boston and meshing quickly in L.A., Van Gundy is comfortable being around family in Florida and traveling less as a broadcaster.
“I fully expect to be be broadcasting for the rest of my professional career,” Van Gundy said. “I’m trying to be as good at it as I can, I’m trying to get better every day.”
Aside from Prime Video’s open color commentary positions, the ESPN booth is also up for grabs. Despite giving lead announcer Mike Breen a recent extension, the network has refrained from locking in a third member of the top booth and has even waffled on Doris Burke’s future in various reports over the past year or so. Richard Jefferson is believed to be the top contender, but Van Gundy worked at ESPN between coaching stints in Detroit and New Orleans.
Beyond the booth, every network could use a coach’s voice on its studio coverage. Currently, ESPN’s Bob Myers is the only person who is not a former athlete or journalist to work on game coverage for a major NBA broadcaster.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.