WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: Head coach Randy Wittman of the Washington Wizards looks on in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Verizon Center on April 13, 2016 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards have fired head coach Randy Wittman after five seasons, the team announced on Thursday.
The Wizards went 41-41 this season and missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
“There were high internal and external expectations for this team coming into this season based on the momentum we had generated over the previous two years,” Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the inconsistency of the team’s performance and effort, particularly on our home court, did not allow us to meet those expectations and we decided a coaching change was needed.”
After losing in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals each of the last two seasons, Grunfield said the team took “a major step back” and “missed an opportunity” in the East. “We were very inconsistent this year. That was probably the only consistent thing about us. We’d go up and down and there was no sense of urgency,” Grunfeld said. “I don’t think we played with the type of energy on a nightly basis that you need to, to achieve the type of goals that we had. We had high expectations, internally and externally.”
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According to reports, Wittman was informed of his termination Wednesday night, after the Wizards finished their disappointing season with a 109-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in a game that had no impact on the playoffs, Washington was already eliminated and Atlanta was already locked into the fourth seed in the East.
Wittman understood that he did not meet his, the organization’s, or the fans’ expectations, “To the fans, I fully understand that we did not live up to your expectations this season,” Wittman said in a statement Thursday. “One of my greatest disappointments is that we were not able to bring a championship to the great city of Washington, D.C. But through it all, I truly believe we have built a solid foundation and this team is headed in the right direction.”
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Wizards are interested in former Oklahoma City coach, Scott Brooks, in part because he could help lure Kevin Durant to D.C. in free agency this summer.
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