May 16 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers fired coach Doc Rivers on Tuesday, just two days after they were eliminated from the playoffs, the team announced.
"Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely," 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a news release. "We're grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise.
"After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship."
Rivers, 61, led the 76ers to a 154-82 record in three seasons with the franchise. The 76ers went 20-15 in the postseason under Rivers, but failed to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Related
Rivers led the 76ers to 54 regular-season wins -- the most since 2000-01 -- during the 2022-23 campaign. They swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. The Boston Celtics then beat the 76ers in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
Rivers owns a 1,097-763 regular-season record in 24 years as an NBA head coach. He is 111-104 in the postseason, including his 2008 title run with the Boston Celtics, but lost in his last five Game 7s.
Rivers told reporters Sunday that he expected to return to the 76ers next season. He signed a 5-year, $40 million contract with the 76ers in 2020 and remained under contract for another two seasons.
Rivers, who also coached the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, led teams to the playoffs in 19 of his 24 seasons.
