On Thursday morning, Doug Collins officially announced his resignation as the 76ers head coach. This news was not a surprise as rumors were circulating as the Sixers' disappointing season came to a close. Philadelphia finished the season with a 34-48 record, landing in the 9th spot in the East, missing the playoffs for the first (and now last) time in the three years under Coach Collins.
Collins decided to walk even with one year remaining on his contract, but he will stay with the organization as an adviser. This change isn't entirely new to Collins who is used to change in scenery as this is the third time he has not lasted past the third year as head coach. Rumors swirled earlier in the month that the team would ask Collins to leave but now it seems like it may be more of a mutual decision as Collins did not seem to wish to stay around for a rebuilding period.
The season's poor performance cannot be placed all on Collins' shoulders as the Sixers were injury plagued all year. Acquired center and once thought-to-be franchise player Andrew Bynum did not play a single game, Jason Richardson missed the majority of the season, and there were many shorter term injuries to other players. Collins was often criticized by fans for his handling of Evan Turner and other young players but Jrue Holiday was able to blossom into a star during Collins' final year. Whether that was in spite of or because of Collins we will see next season.
Doug Collins' overall record with the team was 109-119. His tenure included two playoff appearances. Last year, the Sixers were able to beat a Derrick Rose-less Bulls in the first round but would fall to Boston in game 7. The Bynum trade last offseason seemed to doom this season as both players acquired (Richardson and Bynum) would miss the majority or the entire season. The young talent lost in the trade would show immense improvement in Orlando, especially Vucevic, and Iguodala is now a big contributor on the exciting, third-seeded Nuggets.
Now begins the search for a suitable replacement head coach. If our readers have any suggestions, place them in the comments section!
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