The Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Brett Brown Monday.
Brown, in his seventh year, led the team to the playoffs the last three seasons.
After losing All-Star Ben Simmons, the Sixers were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
General Manager Elton Brand made the announcement.
“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” said Brand.
NEWS
Brett Brown has been relieved of his head coaching duties.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 24, 2020
The Sixers had been considered title contenders this year until they lost Simmons.
It was just one more instance of bad luck for the team, which would have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year if not for Kawhi Leonard’s last-second buzzer-beater.
“Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year, and I believe it is best to go in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal of competing for an NBA championship,” said Brand.
“I want to thank Brett for not only what he did as our Head Coach, but for the impactful community work he and his family did across the Greater Philadelphia Area over the last seven years,” said Josh Harris, 76ers Managing Partner.
More changes are expected in the Sixers’ front office, including, possibly, Brand’s removal, but Sixers’ leadership is said to want to keep stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the team.
Brown issued his own statement expressing his appreciation.
“In 2013, I was employed to lead one of the most dramatic rebuilds in professional sports history,” Brown said. “In the past seven years, our players and coaches have evolved and grown, and I have deep appreciation for the 102 players I have coached.”
Brown also thanked the ownership and former GM Sam Hinkie and wished the team luck in their quest for a title.