tommy
05-04-2003, 07:44 PM
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Paul Silas was fired as coach of the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday after five seasons in which he set the franchise record for victories.
The Hornets went 47-35 this season, finishing third in the Central Division. They were knocked out of the playoffs Friday night, eliminated in the first round in six games by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Silas said he received a phone call Sunday from team co-owner Ray Wooldridge, who said the Hornets would not renew his contract.
"The decision was made for me. It was a little surprising, but they have the right to make their own decisions," Silas said. "We had a good ride, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me."
He leaves with an overall mark of 208-155 with the Hornets, who moved from Charlotte to New Orleans after last season.
Silas took the Hornets to the playoffs each of the past four seasons, but they never advanced beyond the second round.
NBA coaching changes
Since start of 2002-03 season
Team Coach Replacement Date
Atl L. Kruger T. Stotts Dec. 26
Cle J. Lucas K. Smart Jan. 20
LAC A. Gentry D. Johnson Mar. 3
Mem S. Lowe H. Brown Nov. 13
Tor L. Wilkens TBA Apr. 17
NO P. Silas TBA May 4
(side note: looks like the NHL wasn't the only league to get rid of a million coaches this year)
The Hornets said in a news release that Silas' coaching staff also would not return next season.
"We would like to thank Paul and his staff for all their efforts and hard work during their coaching tenure and with them the very best in their future opportunities," team majority owner George Shinn said.
Silas said he was glad the Hornets told him of their decision so quickly, so he will have time to look for a coaching job elsewhere for next season.
The only other NBA team without a coach right now is the Toronto Raptors, who fired Lenny Wilkens right after the regular season ended.
Silas was popular among fans and his players with the Hornets. Starting point guard Baron Davis and others said after their final game that they wanted Silas to return next year.
Most players were out of town or unreachable Sunday.
Silas and Shinn worked on a contract extension before the past season, but were unable to reach an agreement. Once the season started, Shinn and Silas said they would stop negotiating until the season's end.
Silas was earning about $1.5 million per season.
Silas said as recently as the final playoff game on Friday that he loved New Orleans and was optimistic something could be worked out.
The past season was the team's first since moving from Charlotte, where the owners became notorious for letting go popular players, such as Alonzo Mourning, for financial reasons. They said it was difficult to remain financially competitive because of Charlotte's outdated arena, which had only 12 luxury suites.
The main reason the team moved to New Orleans was the city's new arena, which has many more suites, high-priced club seats and other revenue-generating amenities that NBA owners say are needed to stay financially competitive.
The Hornets went 47-35 this season, finishing third in the Central Division. They were knocked out of the playoffs Friday night, eliminated in the first round in six games by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Silas said he received a phone call Sunday from team co-owner Ray Wooldridge, who said the Hornets would not renew his contract.
"The decision was made for me. It was a little surprising, but they have the right to make their own decisions," Silas said. "We had a good ride, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me."
He leaves with an overall mark of 208-155 with the Hornets, who moved from Charlotte to New Orleans after last season.
Silas took the Hornets to the playoffs each of the past four seasons, but they never advanced beyond the second round.
NBA coaching changes
Since start of 2002-03 season
Team Coach Replacement Date
Atl L. Kruger T. Stotts Dec. 26
Cle J. Lucas K. Smart Jan. 20
LAC A. Gentry D. Johnson Mar. 3
Mem S. Lowe H. Brown Nov. 13
Tor L. Wilkens TBA Apr. 17
NO P. Silas TBA May 4
(side note: looks like the NHL wasn't the only league to get rid of a million coaches this year)
The Hornets said in a news release that Silas' coaching staff also would not return next season.
"We would like to thank Paul and his staff for all their efforts and hard work during their coaching tenure and with them the very best in their future opportunities," team majority owner George Shinn said.
Silas said he was glad the Hornets told him of their decision so quickly, so he will have time to look for a coaching job elsewhere for next season.
The only other NBA team without a coach right now is the Toronto Raptors, who fired Lenny Wilkens right after the regular season ended.
Silas was popular among fans and his players with the Hornets. Starting point guard Baron Davis and others said after their final game that they wanted Silas to return next year.
Most players were out of town or unreachable Sunday.
Silas and Shinn worked on a contract extension before the past season, but were unable to reach an agreement. Once the season started, Shinn and Silas said they would stop negotiating until the season's end.
Silas was earning about $1.5 million per season.
Silas said as recently as the final playoff game on Friday that he loved New Orleans and was optimistic something could be worked out.
The past season was the team's first since moving from Charlotte, where the owners became notorious for letting go popular players, such as Alonzo Mourning, for financial reasons. They said it was difficult to remain financially competitive because of Charlotte's outdated arena, which had only 12 luxury suites.
The main reason the team moved to New Orleans was the city's new arena, which has many more suites, high-priced club seats and other revenue-generating amenities that NBA owners say are needed to stay financially competitive.