The Philadelphia 76ers have fired head coach Brett Brown after seven seasons at the helm, according to an official team announcement issued on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers are expected to undergo sweeping changes this offseason, including changes in the front office structure.
While Elton Brand will continue to oversee basketball operations for the team, the personnel and structure in the front office is undergoing significant evaluation and changes are expected.
Additionally, the Sixers prefer to keep their two young stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, together, and wish to find a coaching staff that can find ways to maximize them playing with one another before they discuss any trade scenarios involving them.
“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,” Brand said in an official statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances.
“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.”
At this time, the Sixers have targeted Los Angeles Clippers assistant Ty Lue, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship when he was head coach in 2016.
“In 2013, I was employed to lead one of the most dramatic rebuilds in professional sports history,” Brown said in a statement. “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.”
Villanova’s two-time national championship coach Jay Wright is also rumored to be of interest.
