The Golden State Warriors made a move that was widely speculated for the past few days when the team dismissed coach Mark Jackson on Tuesday after three seasons.
The 49-year-old Jackson led the Warriors to a 51-31 record during the regular season, but Golden State was ousted in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
“It’s never easy to make a decision of this nature,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers. “Mark has accomplished many good things during his three years with the organization, including his role in helping elevate this team into a better position than it was when he arrived nearly 36 months ago.
“We’re appreciative of his dedication and commitment since his arrival and are extremely grateful for his contributions. However, as an organization, we simply feel it’s best to move in a different direction at this time.”
In three seasons with the Warriors, Jackson compiled a 121-109 record and the team reached the playoffs the past two seasons. He became only the third coach in franchise history to lead the Warriors to 50-win seasons, joining Don Nelson and Al Attles.
“Mark Jackson has had a big impact on the improvement of our team and the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” Warriors owner and CEO Joe Lacob said. “Nonetheless, we must make some difficult decisions in our day-to-day operations of the club and this would certainly qualify as one of those examples. We wish Mark the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last three years.”
Jackson was dogged by reports of conflict in the front office and disagreements with management. Assistant coaches Brian Scalabrine and Darren Erman lost their jobs during the season. Scalabrine was reassigned to the NBA Development League and and Erman was dismissed after recording conversations between players and coaches.
Jackson also reportedly was upset about Jerry West, a member of the front office, recently attending practices.
CBSSports.com reported that Jackson could be a top candidate for vacancies with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, depending on whether Steve Kerr and George Karl are interested in the openings. Jackson also could return to his job as an analyst with TNT.