LOS ANGELES (AP)—Mike Dunleavy and the Los Angeles Clippers parted company for good Tuesday, barely a month after he relinquished his head coaching duties to focus solely on being general manager.
Now that arrangement is over, with the team announcing his departure in an e-mailed statement. Assistant general manager Neil Olshey will take over Dunleavy’s job.
“The team has simply not made sufficient progress during Dunleavy’s seven-year tenure,” the statement said. “The Clippers want to win now. This transition, in conjunction with a full commitment to dedicate unlimited resources, is designed to accomplish that objective.”
The Clippers were 12th in the Western Conference standings with a 25-38 record going into Tuesday night’s game at Orlando.
Dunleavy stepped down as head coach on Feb. 4, and was replaced by assistant Kim Hughes.
At the time, Dunleavy said, “I thought, ‘It’s time for me to give somebody else a shot, you’re burnt out on this.”’
Olshey had been serving as assistant GM since before the 2008-09 season. Previously, he was director of player development, assistant coach and director of player personnel.
The team said he played an important role in several transactions, including deals that brought Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler, Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and Drew Gooden to the Clippers. Olshey also was part of the planning for the team’s last four NBA drafts, including obtaining Blake Griffin as the No. 1 overall pick last season.
Griffin has missed this season because of injury.
The move comes with the Clippers having significant salary cap space in hopes of luring a top free agent this summer.
In 6 1/2 seasons as coach, Dunleavy was 215-325, and Los Angeles made the playoffs just once in his first six seasons, getting within one game of the Western Conference finals in 2006. The Clippers haven’t been back to the playoffs since, winning just 42 games in the past two seasons.
Last month, Dunleavy said, “I wanted to stay with this organization, see things through, one way or the other. I would have rather done it as a successful coach, but on the other hand, I can see ahead. It was going to be a tough struggle all the way through.”
Source YahooSports
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