Former NBA player Darvin Ham was announced as the next head coach of the NBA Development League's New Mexico Thunderbirds at a press conference this morning. Ham will be the fourth head coach in the team's six-year history, following in the footsteps of John Coffino, Jeff Ruland and Michael Cooper. Ham, 37, has served as the Thunderbirds' top assistant over the past two seasons while learning the ins and outs of the business from then-head coach Coffino. Prior to joining Coffino's coaching staff, Ham played as an unofficial 'player-coach' for the Thunderbirds under Ruland during the 2007-2008 season, his last year as a professional player, averaging 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.