Once Again, Wolves Owner Wants GM Kevin McHale to Take Over the Minnesota Mess

It's a familiar story. Wolves owner Glen Taylor becomes disillusioned with his team's current coach, but understands fully the roster problems said coach has been forced to deal with. Taylor tells Kevin McHale, the team's long-tenured personnel honcho, to take over the coaching job with the philosophy of, "You helped make this mess, so clean it up."

In 2005, McHale took over for Flip Saunders and Minnesota missed the playoffs by one game. In 2007, McHale instead tapped recently added assistant (and former head coach) Randy Wittman, who took Dwane Casey's .500 team completely into the tank.

Now Wittman's on the firing line, and ESPN's Marc Stein reports Taylor is asking McHale to take over. Stein indicates that McHale might have another mark, though: team GM Jim Stack. Wolves fans can hardly be picky -- Wittman is completely lost out there, and has a truly atrocious record as coach. (For example, Wittman has 100 wins in 307 games as a head coach. Avery Johnson has coached 43 fewer games in his nascent career ... and has 94 more wins).

But most Wolves fans would agree, I think: getting rid of McHale is as important if not more important to the future health of the franchise as is losing Wittman. I mean, the draft, trade and free agency records speak for themselves. It appears Taylor only feels comfortable canning coaches, not execs. As such, the only way to lop off McHale's head (figuratively) is to get him on the sidelines. If McHale instead inserts another future fall guy, this 4-15 disaster may be for naught.