The Los Angeles Lakers have officially named Coby Karl as the new head coach of their D-League team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Karl replaces former D-Fenders head coach Casey Owens, who was called up to the Lakers to serve as an assistant coach and advance scout after leading Los Angeles to the D-League Finals in his first season as head coach.
Karl is the son of former NBA head coach George Karl, and spent 17 games with the D-Fenders when the Lakers assigned him there during the 2007-08 NBA season. Karl spent last season as an assistant coach with the Westchester Knicks (his first coaching experience), and will make a quick jump to the head of the bench with the D-Fenders.