NBA News: Jay Triano sacked as Toronto Raptors Coach; will continue working as a special assistant
The Toronto Raptors’ head coach Jay Triano will not be coaching his team next season. The Raptors top management declared on Wednesday that they have decided against extending Triano tenure as their team’s head coach. The Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said in a conference call, “We've decided that it was time to change the voice, change the leader at the helm.”
However, Triano will not be leaving the Raptors and will remain associated with the team in the capacity of a team consultant. He will work with Raptors’ president and general manager Bryan Colangelo as a special assistant.
Triano, former Canadian Olympian basketball player, served as assistant coach under the helm of three coaches, before he was made an interim coach when the Raps decided to part ways with Sam Mitchell midway through the 2008-09 season. After nearly one season, the interim tag was removed and Triano became the seventh head coach of Toronto Raptors. During his two year tenure, Triano led the Raps to an 87-142 record. He would have earned 2 million dollars, if the Raptors front office had decide to re-instate him, but they did not exercise that option.
Toronto had a miserable 2010-11 season, during which they finished at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. They experienced a huge set back when Chris Bosh departed and joined Miami Heat in the pre-season and then a spate of injuries to their remaining cast didn’t help either. The only Canadian franchise in the league finished the season with a paltry 22-60 record.
“All of the factors that were discussed were weighed, it led to the conclusion that now was the right time to make a coaching change and we've decided to do that.” General manager Bryan Colangelo said while announcing the decision.
The Raptors’ GM however did not give an indication as to who will the next coach. He however made it clear that there was no deadline was in-place regarding the arrival of new coach and that the administration will be deeply evaluating every possible option for their team’s coaching job.
The sacking of the Ontario native as a coach comes two weeks after the general manager himself signed a multiyear contract with the Raps.
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