Detroit Pistons Officially Announce Plans to Find New Head Coach

The Detroit Pistons officially parted ways with Monty Williams this week.

Mar 5, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams (00) talks to guard Cade Cunningham (2) against the Miami Heat during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports | Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons released a statement, officially announcing the firing of the head coach, Monty Williams.

According to the statement, the decision to move on from Williams comes “after a thorough review and analysis” of the team’s 2023-2024 run.

Just last year, the Pistons parted ways with head coach Dwane Casey, who transitioned to a front-office role after agreeing to step down. At that point, the Pistons fired up a coaching search, with eyes for Monty Williams, who wrapped up a stint with the Phoenix Suns.

During the Suns’ 2022-2023 campaign, Williams coached his team to a 45-37 record. The Suns made a third-straight playoff appearance. With 11 postseason matchups, Phoenix found themselves out in the second round for the second-consecutive postseason.

Williams was ultimately replaced by Frank Vogel after four seasons in Phoenix. Although it was reported Williams planned to take a year off after leaving the Suns, the Pistons approached him with a lucrative offer. Suddenly, he was signed on for the next six seasons.

The first year of the Williams tenure was extremely underwhelming. After achieving a 14-68 record, the Pistons finished last in the Eastern Conference. As the 2023-2024 season winded down, it was apparent Williams’ time in Detroit could be cut short, as the Pistons brought in a new President of Basketball Operations in Trajan Langdon.

So far this summer, the Pistons have parted ways with the General Manager Troy Weaver, adding Williams’ firing to the list of critical moves.

“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said via press release. “Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”

The Pistons intend to put together a “swift” search for a new leader. With the NBA Draft approaching in a week, and free agency following, it will be important for Detroit to find Williams’ replacement soon so they can pitch a new system to incoming players.