The Indiana Pacers have fired their head coach Nate McMillan, the team announced on Wednesday. The move comes swiftly after the team was swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
The team released a statement along with the announcement:
“On behalf of the Simon family and the Pacers organization, I'd like to thank Nate for his years with the team,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “This was a very hard decision for us to make; but we feel it's in the best interest of the organization to move in a different direction. Nate and I have been through the good times and the bad times; and it was an honor to work with him for those 11 years (in Indiana and Portland).”
The Pacers vowed to start their coaching search immediately.
Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni is reportedly first in line to be the next at the helm, should he become available after his contract expires at the end of the season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
McMillan was given a contract extension only two weeks ago after facing rumors of being in the hot seat. took over as head coach of the Pacers prior to the start of the 2016-17 season; leading the team to a 103-136 record, including 3-16 in the playoffs.
His overall coaching record is 661-580 (.533) and 11-36 (.234) in the postseason. McMillan's 183 wins as head coach of the Pacers are third in the team's NBA history.
Follow Us
Subscribe