ATLANTA, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Hawks fired Coach Lon Kruger Thursday and named assistant Terry Stotts to replace him for the remainder of the season.
After 18 years on the college level, the last four at Illinois, Kruger made the jump to the NBA, taking over the Hawks prior to the 2000-01 season.
But Kruger went just 69-122 in his two-plus years in Atlanta, including an 11-16 mark this season.
"This is a day of extreme mixed emotions for me," Hawks General Manager Pete Babcock said. "We all have the utmost respect for Lon Kruger as a coach and as a person. He is the ultimate professional in literally all he does. However, we have not maximized the potential of our existing roster and a number of changes are necessary."
It has been a disappointing start for the Hawks, who acquired Glenn Robinson in an offseason trade. After winning six of its first 10 games, Atlanta has lost 12 of its last 17.
Pressure was on Hawks management, which guaranteed season ticket holders a rebate on their packages if the team misses the postseason. Kruger urged the rebate idea but failed to turn Atlanta into a playoff-caliber team.
Kruger was the second Atlanta coach dismissed Thursday. Earlier in the day, Curt Fraser was fired as coach of the NHL's Thrashers.
Stotts is a head coach for the first time in his first season with Atlanta. He had spent his previous four seasons as the top assistant under George Karl in Milwaukee.
"Terry is well prepared for the challenges of being a head coach in the NBA as he has served in the role as a bench assistant for more than a decade," Babcock said. "He is well respected throughout the league for his knowledge as well as his ability to teach. We look forward to Terry's leadership taking us back to the playoffs."
The Hawks also fired assistant coach Gar Heard and re-arranged the remaining staff. Steve Henson remains on the bench and Alex English becomes Stotts' top assistant midway through his first season as Atlanta's director of player development.
