The Detroit Pistons are parting ways with head coach Monty Williams after a 14-win season in his first year in charge, the team announced Wednesday.
Williams had five years and over $65 million remaining on the six-year deal he signed in June 2023.
"Decisions like these are hard to make and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication," team owner Tom Gores said in a statement. "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."
The Pistons' previous general manager, Troy Weaver, hired Williams. Detroit shuffled its front office at the end of May, dismissing Weaver and bringing in former New Orleans Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon as its president of basketball operations.
The decision to fire Williams was made by the Pistons' ownership, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Along with finishing with the worst record in the league at 14-68, the 2023-24 campaign was also the worst in Pistons franchise history, supplanting their 16-66 season in 1979-80. Detroit also suffered a record 28-game losing streak from Oct. 30 to Dec. 28. It remains the longest losing streak within a single season and also matches the combined 28 straight losses the 76ers racked up between the end of the 2014-15 season and the start of 2015-16.
Before taking over in Detroit, Williams was with the Phoenix Suns for four seasons, going a combined 194-115 in the regular season and 27-19 in the playoffs. He led the club to the Finals in 2021 but lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the first time the Suns made the playoffs in over a decade. The Suns fired Williams in May 2023 following back-to-back second-round exits. They replaced him with Frank Vogel, who they dismissed after the team was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
Williams was also head coach of the Pelicans for five full seasons, dating back to the franchise's time as the Hornets, during which he went 173-221 in the regular season.
