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Mavericks Fire Avery Johnson

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Apr 30, 2008 1:52 pm US/Central

Mavericks Fire Avery Johnson

  Dallas Mavericks' Playoff Hopes End

  Take Our Poll: Was Avery Johnson's Dismissal As Mavs Head Coach A Good Move?

The Dallas Mavericks have fired head coach Avery Johnson.

The team made its announcement Wednesday, one day after the Mavericks made their second consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs.

The Mavericks lost to the New Orleans Hornets in five games.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, "It is never easy to relieve a coach of his duties, especially one of Avery's caliber.  He is a talented coach and I want to thank him for his efforts over the last four years and what he has done for this franchise. We wish him well in the future."

Dallas was 16-13 after Jason Kidd arrived and were 35-18 before giving up young point guard Devin Harris and a package of players and picks for the veteran superstar.

The Mavericks also gave up their first-round draft pick to New Jersey, in the deal to get Kidd.

Last year, Johnson led the Mavericks to a 67-win season, the best in team history.  But he couldn't overcome Don Nelson's eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

That disappointment followed what was almost a dream rookie coaching season for Johnson.  In 2005-2006, his first full year as head coach, Johnson was named NBA coach of the year and led the team to the NBA finals.  The Mavericks won the first two games of the finals against Miami, but then collapsed to lose the next four and the series.

Johnson's overall record as head coach was 194-70, for a .735 winning percentage.  But his postseason record was just 23-24—a .489 winning percentage.

"You've got to take the good with the bad," Johnson said after Tuesday's season-ending 99-95 loss to the Hornets. "That is called life. There are a lot of highs and lows in coaching, but the highs outweigh the lows. The rewards outweigh anything.

"I've been through much worse. There are a lot of people in bad shape and I am not one of them."

Reports say Johnson may not be unemployed for long. Both the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls are in need of coaches.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)