Reports: Sixers coach Doug Collins to resign when season ends
Doug Collins will reportedly resign as Sixers coach. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Sixers coach Doug Collins will reportedly resign after the 2012-13 season ends on Wednesday.
Yahoo! Sports reports that Collins, 61, has made that decision known to his superiors in Philadelphia.
Ownership wanted him to return for the final season of a contract that would've paid him $4.5 million, one source said, but Collins informed owner Josh Harris of his decision to leave in recent days.
CSNPhilly.com and the Philadelphia Inquirer also reported Sunday that Collins is headed out.
The Sixers are 33-47 and will miss the playoffs one season after advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Philadelphia was one of the NBA's biggest disappointments this season, as franchise center Andrew Bynum, acquired in a blockbuster trade last summer, never took the court following a series of setbacks with his knees.
Rumors have circulated that Collins, whose contract runs through the 2013-14 season, would not return in Philadelphia in recent days, although that chatter had been denied.
Collins' agent, John Langel, told USA Today Sports on Sunday that his client would "continue to be the coach" of the Sixers and that his client was going to take it "year by year."
The Philadelphia Inquirerreported last week that the Sixers were hoping this season would be Collins' last.
According to multiple league sources, the 76ers organization privately hopes that coach Doug Collins decides not to return for the 2013-14 season and, regardless of his decision, it does not intend to extend his contract - which has one year remaining.
"I'm entirely focused on trying to win the games we have left," Collins said Wednesday night before the Sixers played Atlanta at the Wells Fargo Center. "I'm not thinking at all about next season. I haven't gone there."
After a loss to the Magic in February, Collins went on a memorable rant about his team's lack of commitment, pre-game intensity and rebounding struggles and he also offered some second thoughts about the Bynum trade.
“We made a huge deal. And we have nobody playing as part of that deal. How many teams can give up Andre Iguodala, Moe Harkless and Nik Vucevic, and have nothing in return playing? That’s tough to overcome, right? That’s just the facts. I’m not looking for any out. But that’s the facts. Nik Vucevic had 19 rebounds tonight. Spencer had one. I think Lavoy [Allen] had two.”
