Mike Dunlap Is Not a Big Name, but He Has Big-Name Fans Imagine the standard pre-game introductions for the Charlotte Bobcats: "And now coaching your Bobcats...Mike Dunlap!" There will probably be polite applause, but more than a few in the crowd may be asking, "Mike who?" The Bobcats reached agreement with Dunlap, most recently an assistant at St. John's, on Monday evening according to The Charlotte Observer. He had worked this season as the Red Storm's acting head coach, while Coach Steve Lavin was on leave during his treatment for prostate cancer. The hiring of Dunlap, 55, comes as a surprise, as he was not on the short-list of candidates that included former Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Lakers assistant Quin Snyder. Sloan withdrew from consideration, leaving Shaw and Snyder out of the 10 that interviewed for the job. But in the end, the quiet candidate won the job. Dunlap is expected to be introduced by the Bobcats, as the replacement for former Coach Paul Silas, during a press conference on Wednesday. He will have his work cut out for him, as the Bobcats were an N.B.A.-worst 7-59 this season. The Bobcats will be picking second in the N.B.A. draft, on June 28. Dunlap is known as a basketball junkie, in the mold of coaches Lawrence Frank (Pistons), Frank Vogel (Pacers), and Erik Spoelstra (Heat). None of them have been star N.B.A. players or big-time college coaches before making the jump to being N.B.A. head coaches. Dunlap, a native of Fairbanks, Alaska, is an alumni of Loyola Marymount and Pierce College in Los Angeles, where he played basketball. He likes up-tempo play, and is known for relating well to players. Lavin said he was pleased that Dunlap will be advancing in his career. "The Johnnies basketball family is ecstatic for Coach Dunlap's opportunity," Lavin said in a statement released by St. John's on Tuesday. "Mike's selection as the Charlotte Bobcats" head coach is a well-deserved honor. To make the unprecedented jump from college assistant to N.B.A. head coach is testament to both Mike's abilities as a teacher and our basketball program's marked improvement over the past 27 months. Dunlap has some N.B.A. experience, serving as a Denver Nuggets assistant from 2006-09. Before that, he was the coach at Division II Metropolitan State College in Denver. After leaving the Nuggets, Dunlap served as an associate head coach at Arizona (2008-09) and Oregon (2009-10) before moving to St. John's. Nuggets Coach George Karl also praised Dunlap for being a strong coach, Tweeting his support for the hire. Great hire by Bobcats! Mike Dunlap is one of the most creative defensive minds I've ever worked with. Welcome back to the NBA! Karl posted on Monday. He followed with another post about Dunlap on Tuesday. Elated about Mike Dunlap going to Charlotte! To hire a guy of knowledge and character more than spin and perception makes me feel great! Dunlap was in the running for the Bulls opening in 2008, according to The Chicago Tribune. The Bulls went with Vinny Del Negro, but came away impressed by Dunlap's interviewing skills and basketball philosophy. the report said.