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Sonics fire laid-back coach Bob Weiss
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-04 08:52
SEATTLE - Bob Weiss' laid-back attitude made him a favorite of players. It
just didn't translate to enough victories.
Weiss was fired as coach of
the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday with Seattle struggling at 13-17, and having
lost five of its last seven. The Sonics are the second NBA team to change
coaches this season, following Stan Van Gundy's resignation at Miami last month.
Assistant Bob Hill will take over and his first game will be Wednesday night
against Chicago. Seattle opened a five-game road trip with a 115-96 loss to
Indiana on Monday.
"We've epitomized the word 'inconsistent' for professional basketball,"
general manager Rick Sund said after the team practiced at Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago on Tuesday. "We talked a lot in the last two weeks trying to (figure
out) 'How can we get more consistent?' ... We talked, and we both kind of felt
that a change might be in the best interest of the club."
Usually smiling, Weiss was promoted from assistant to head coach on July 18
after Nate McMillan left for Portland, and was a popular choice of All-Stars Ray
Allen and Rashard Lewis. He was also a cheaper option, as Seattle passed on
higher-priced candidates like Flip Saunders and Paul Silas.
But Weiss' smile was absent lately, replaced by visible signs of frustration.
Seattle has not been above .500 this season after winning 52 games last season
while capturing the Northwest Division. The Sonics are four games below .500 for
the first time since finishing the 2004 season 37-45.
"There are a lot of things I could have done better to help this team. I take
full responsibility. I feel I let Bob Weiss down as a coach," Allen said. "He
was a guy you could trust and count on. My heart goes out to him."
The 63-year-old Weiss previously coached Atlanta, San Antonio and the Los
Angeles Clippers and has an overall record of 223-299. He was a Seattle
assistant from 1994-2005.
But his track record as a head coach was average. He had two winning seasons
— 1991 and 1993 in Atlanta — and never finished higher than fourth place.
Team president Wally Walker could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but
in a statement released by the team said, "Over the past 11-plus seasons, the
Sonics have the fifth-best winning record in the NBA including four division
titles. Bob Weiss has been a significant contributor to that success. His
loyalty and insights have been extremely valuable to this organization."
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