"non-coaching positions" is the way the legislation reads which would lead you to believe that hiring the party as an assistant would be permissible.
All I can say is that ever since the rule was implemented(early 2009 I believe), I have not seen 1 instance of an assistant being brought on along with a player, aka the traditional package deal. I certainly could have missed it, but don't think there have been any high-profile exapmles.
Houston/Copes might be a good test of that.