Ramsay Offers Advice to New Portland Coach

Jack Ramsay, the fired coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, says he gave some advice recently to Mike Schuler, the man who will lead the NBA team next season.

“He called me up one day,” Ramsay said Wednesday. “Mike’s a nice guy. He’s excited about the job and anxious, but I don’t think he felt good about how this turned out for me. I appreciated that.”

After his firing May 28, Ramsay expressed dissatisfaction with the Blazers’ marketing department and its influence over the team. He said he warned Schuler of the situation.

“I told him, ‘Make sure you’re the coach of the team. Don’t let other people influence you.’

“I hope it turns out for him,” Ramsay added. “I think he’s an earnest guy who will work hard at his job.”

Schuler, assistant to Don Nelson at Milwaukee for the past three seasons, became the sixth Portland head coach in the 16-year history of the franchise.

Ramsay, who once was general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, indicated he may be interested in a front-office job with an NBA team.

“It depends on what the job description is,” he said. “Some general managers are directors of player personnel and some player personnel directors are scouts only.

“I wouldn’t want to be an office person who takes care of the business end of it. I would be interested in developing a team, though.”

Coaching in the NBA remains a possibility, but Ramsay said he is not actively seeking a coaching job.

“I’m not unhappy right now,” he said. “I have too many interests to be unhappy.”

Ramsay, 62, also said he’s not considering retirement.

“I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” he said. “I’m still a young guy.”

Ramsay returned to Portland from his summer home in New Jersey this week to take care of personal business, including the sale of his home in the affluent suburb of Lake Oswego and other properties on the Oregon Coast.