Today, the Sacramento Kings announced that Doug Christie has been named head coach.
"After careful consideration, I am excited to announce Doug Christie as the next head coach of the Sacramento Kings," said General Manager Scott Perry. "I've known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players. He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We're excited to move forward with Doug as our leader."
"I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings," Christie said. "This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn't be more excited for this new chapter."
Christie was appointed interim head coach of the Kings on December 27, 2024, leading the team to a 27-24 record and earning the ninth seed in the Western Conference. During his 51 games as interim head coach, Sacramento ranked 11th in points per game (116.2), 10th in offensive rating (116.6), 10th in field goal percentage (47.8%), 10th in three-point percentage (36.9%), and third in defensive rebounding percentage (73.0%).
Prior to serving as interim head coach, Christie was an assistant coach with Sacramento for three seasons. From 2017 to 2021, Christie served as the team's full-time color analyst.
Selected 17th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, Christie played 15 seasons in the NBA for seven teams, including the Kings from 2000-2005. During his time in Sacramento, Christie earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors in 2002-03 and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team three times (2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04). Christie helped Sacramento reach the postseason in each of his five seasons with the team, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2002.
Christie was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Christie captured All-American honorable mention honors from multiple publications in both his junior and senior seasons, and was named the West Coast Conference's Player of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. He led the team in scoring, assists and steals both seasons, and averaged 19.5 points per game as a senior. On Pepperdine's career records lists, he still ranks #3 in assists (395), #3 in steals (168), #10 in blocked shots (86) and #15 in points (1,392).
In his final two seasons, Pepperdine won both WCC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He was awarded Most Valuable Player honors at the 1992 WCC Tournament, which included a game-high 26 points in the championship game against Gonzaga. He then added 23 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament game against Memphis State.
