Former 76ers HC Brett Brown Steps Down as Australian Boomers Coach

Nearly a year ago, Australia's national men's basketball team named former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown as the man who will lead them through the summer Olympics in Tokyo this year. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for the games to go on this summer.

Therefore, the Tokyo Olympics are re-scheduled for the summer of 2021. Brown remained committed as everything got postponed, but recently, he changed course. On Tuesday, Brown released a statement via Basketball Australia stating he will no longer coach the Boomers in the 2021 Olympics.

“Whilst I have a deep and long-standing passion for Australian Basketball, I am currently unable to commit to coaching the Boomers at next year’s Olympic Games," Brown wrote. "The uncertainties around the direction of my professional future, unfortunately, mean that I cannot commit to the time and preparation that this job deserves and requires. The difficulties around traveling internationally with my family during the pandemic have also contributed to my decision."

At the moment, Brown has currently been without a job in the NBA ever since the Sixers fired him back in late August, following the team's playoff series loss against the Boston Celtics. Since he departed from Philly, Brown has generated little noise in the head coaches' free agency market. However, his reasoning behind stepping down makes it seem like he's open to returning to coaching at some point in the near future.

Regardless of his situation, Basketball Australia CEO Jerril Rechter mentioned that the organization is "naturally disappointed" that Brown cannot fulfill his coaching duties for the Boomers. "We fully understand Brett’s situation, and appreciate his candidness when informing us of the decision," Rechter said in a statement. "Basketball Australia will commence recruitment for this position in the coming period, with details of the process to be released in due course."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_