INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers fired Coach Bob Hill Tuesday -- just three months after signing him to a three-year contract extension.
The NBA club reportedly was interested in replacing him with Rick Pitino, who still has three years left on his contract with the University of Kentucky.
University of Kentucky officials said they doubted Pitino would leave the Wildcat program where the three remaining years on his contract are reportedly worth about $3 million.
Hill's firing was announced by General Manager Donnie Walsh, whose own status with the club was somewhat cloudy. Walsh reportedly will meet next week with co-owner Herb Simon to discuss his future.
Hill, who is guaranteed only one year's salary -- $350,000 -- compiled a113-108 regular season mark with the Pacers but managed only a 3-9 record in the playoffs, which spelled first-round departures three times.
Besides Pitino, the rumor mill spun out the names of Larry Bird, Larry Brown, Len Wilkens and Jim Lynam as possible replacements for Hill.
Bird starred at Indiana State before his now-completed pro career with the Boston Celtics. Brown currently is with the Los Angeles Clippers. Wilkens, the Cleveland coach, has been under some pressure because of early losses in the playoffs and Lynam is coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, who are owned by Harold Katz, a friend of Simon.
