The Detroit Pistons will again be looking for a new head coach as they have fired Monty Williams following just one season and absorbing the remaining $65 million on his contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who was hired just last month, has consistently been meeting with Williams regarding the future of the franchise, but the decision to fire Williams was directed from the ownership level with Tom Gores, and Langdon officially dismissed Williams on Wednesday.
Per the report, Gores and Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem had been advocates of dismissing Williams and now the Pistons must find a new coach as the NBA Draft, which they currently hold the 5th overall pick, is closing in and free agency is on the horizon.
Williams joined the Pistons last offseason, following his dismissal as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, on a historic six-year, $78 million contract, however the addition of the respected head coach did not translate to success on the court.
Detroit tied an NBA record with a 28-game regular-season losing streak and finished with a league-worst 14-68 record and are 94-290 (.245) over the past five seasons, the worst mark across the NBA.