The Oklahoma City Thunder have fired coach Scott Brooks.
The team made the announcement Wednesday.
“This is an extremely difficult decision on many levels. Scott helped establish the identity of the Thunder and has earned his rightful place in the history of our organization through his seven years as a valued leader and team member,” said Sam Presti, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We determined that, in order to stimulate progress and put ourselves in the best position next season and as we looked to the future, a transition of this kind was necessary for the program.”
Brooks coached the Thunder for seven seasons. Starting in 2010-11, he led the team to the Western Conference Finals three out of four years, and the Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012. The Thunder failed to make the playoffs this past season, as injuries limited them to a 45-37 finish.
Brooks was 338-207 (.620) with the Thunder and was the 2009-10 NBA Coach of the Year.
Former Thunder player and current University of Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie and University of Florida coach Billy Donovan are among those linked as candidates to replace Brooks.