Doug West's latest coaching venture has taken him to the NBA Developmental League.
West, a 1985 graduate of Altoona Area High School, will serve as an assistant coach with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers announced the move on Thursday.
West, 45, spent this past season as an assistant at Villanova University, his alma mater, where he served as an assistant to Jay Wright for four seasons.
He played 12 seasons in the NBA, including eight with the Minnesota Timberwolves before retiring in 2001. Current Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale was the Timberwolves' general manager during West's tenure in Minnesota.
Following his NBA career, West served as the boys varsity and junior varsity assistant coach at Canon-McMillan High School, outside Pittsburgh, from 2001-2004. In 2004, he became athletic director and strength and conditioning coordinator at Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, W.Va., and he spent one season (2006-07) as an assistant coach for the Duquesne University women's team.
West is a member of the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame (2004 inductee) and Big Five Hall of Fame.
The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA's official minor league. It has 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises.
The Vipers' 2012-13 season tips off in late November.
