Link Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins has informed ownership that he will resign at season's end, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Collins, 62, has one year left on a four-year deal, but has told management he won't return in that job. Collins' possible return to the franchise in another role – perhaps in the front office – hasn't been ruled out, a source said. 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. A 76ers spokesman couldn't be reached for comment on Sunday night. The Sixers are 33-47 and in ninth place in the East. After reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals a year ago – and trading for All-Star center Andrew Bynum over the summer – the Sixers had hopes of challenging the conference elite this season. Yet the season derailed when recurring knee problems cost Bynum the entire season, ultimately leaving the Sixers with nothing to show for trading Andre Igoudala and promising young players, Nik Vucevic and Moe Harkless. With Collins leaving and organization president Rod Thorn likely to move into a consultant's role at season's end, the Sixers organization will be in flux. General manager Tony DiLeo was promoted into his job a year ago, but it's unclear if ownership will stay with him or seek to hire an ultimate decision-maker over him. Philadelphia was the fourth stop of Collins' NBA coaching career that included Chicago, Detroit and Washington. Collins' son Chris was recently hired as the head coach at Northwestern University.
It's probably best if this is his last head coaching gig. Seems like it's player's coach or nothing at all. Dealing with the Bynum situation would had to have been frustrating.
I dont get it...why would Doug Collins quit when many people speculated the sixers were planning on firing him anyways? If they fired him he would still get paid the remaining amount on his contract, so im not quite sure why he would resign and thus lose the remaining amount on his contract..Can someone explain?
A) This is all just speculation, reports say the FO wanted if him back. What if they didn't fire him, and he'd have to stay one year anyway? B) Pride. It's better to say you resigned than you were fired, esp. if he wants to get another coaching job. Being fired means you would be picking up trash Sixers didn't want.
Will a GM actually offer Bynum a multi-year contract starting at 7 figures? It's going to be interesting seeing what happens to Bynum. For some reason I don't think he gets the max even though Lopez did.
No way Bynum gets the max. He has blown that opportunity. My guess is ~2 years/$15-20 million. It really depends how healthy he can become before signing.
Pretty sure this isn't a unilateral decision. There is likely to have been discussions between Collins' camp and Sixers front office about how much they'd pay him to go away already and perhaps a settlement on an amount. This is why there is mention of him possibly "return in another role"-- code word for paying Collins to go away but saving face for both parties.
Edit: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>And now Doug Collins' agent John Langel issues press release saying 2PM release on "new relationship" being finalized w/Sixers is inaccurate</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/324246690964045826">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> ______________________________________________________ <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>According to Doug Collins' agent John Langel, Collins has negotiated "new relationship with 76ers" as "special consultant" to franchise</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/324244030953226240">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nice. This way Collins still gets paid in the final year of his contract, and the Sixers can start looking for a new coach.
Well, not so fast on that previous tweet. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>And now Doug Collins' agent John Langel issues press release saying 2PM release on "new relationship" being finalized w/Sixers is inaccurate</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/324246690964045826">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Collins has a habit of burning himself out, coaching about once every ten years. He won't coach again until next decade.
