A little more than a week ago, we noted some rumblings that changes were in store for the Indiana Pacers, as coach Jim O'Brien and GM David Morway were likely going to be replaced at the end of the season, with President Larry Bird's future up in the air as well.
O'Brien was said to be safe through the rest of the season, as no one on his staff was seen as head coach material. On Sunday, though, that story changed in a big way: Yahoo! Sports reports that the Pacers have fired O'Brien. CBSSports.com's Ken Berger has confirmed the decision, citing multiple sources.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Pacers assistant Frank Vogel is "expected to coach the team for the remainder of the season." According to his NBA.com bio, Vogel is just 37-years-old and in his eighth season as an assistant coach. Once tabbed, Vogel will surpass New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams as the youngest head coach in the NBA.
Berger reports that "a person with knowledge of the team's plans confirmed to CBSSports.com that Vogel was the likely choice to take over for O'Brien on an interim basis. Also under discussion internally, according to the source, was team president Larry Bird coming down to the bench for the rest of the season. If the choice is Vogel, as expected, it is an indication that Bird didn't want to coach."
Yahoo! Sports names former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown and Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin as two possible candidates to replace O'Brien on a "long-term basis."
Pacers fans had been frustrated with O'Brien and the team's progress for some time. The decision to fire O'Brien now rather than wait until the end of the season likely boils down to two factors: expectations and rotations.
The Pacers got off to a 9-7 start, and have enough talent on the roster to be a lower-level playoff team in the top-heavy Eastern Conference. But the Pacers are currently 17-37 on the season, good for 10th in the Eastern Conference, could lead to the thinking that the season is at a crossroads. Salvaging a playoff seed out of this season would be huge, but perhaps O'Brien wasn't seen as someone able to reach the players and right the ship.
The other regular criticism of O'Brien has been his inconsistent rotations. Coaches of losing teams get that a lot, as they juggle the pieces looking for something that will work. The problem: O'Brien didn't have a solid argument to hang his hat on. Star forward Danny Granger has seen his numbers regress from last year, center Roy Hibbert started strong but then tailed off in a big way, point guard Darren Collison often struggled with his efficiency, and none of the other periphery parts have developed into anything substantial.
The firing comes one day after the Pacers lost to the Chicago Bulls, 110-89, on Saturday night. IndyCornrows.com notes that O'Brien was ejected from last night's game.
O'Brien was hired by Indiana before the 2007-2008 NBA season. His record with the team was 121-169, and he never won more than 36 games in a season. His career coaching record stands at 303-327.
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