The Cleveland Cavaliers fired their head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, bringing his stint with the franchise to an end after five seasons.
Bickerstaff led the Cavs to a 48-34 record and fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference while also reaching the East semifinals. This was the first time in six years that the Cavs made it past the first round. However, this was not enough for Bickerstaff to keep his job.
Reportedly, the Cavs want a head coach who will bring a new approach and get the most out of a talented roster. They are expected to cast a wide net in their search with Golden State Warriors’ assistant Kenny Atkinson being one of prominent candidates.
“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human being,” Cavs’ president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.”
Bickerstaff initially joined the Cavs as an associated head coach under John Beilein ahead of the 2019-20 season. Beilein resigned after just 54 games in charge, with Bickerstaff stepping in as his replacement.
In four-and-a-half seasons as the head coach of the Cavs, Bickerstaff compiled a 170-159 record and made the playoffs twice.
