Weeks removed from wrapping up the most successful regular season in Raptors history, Dwane Casey is out of a job.
MORE: Rockets have edge? 'Our guys have rings,' Warriors coach Steve Kerr says |
Toronto fired its coach on Saturday morning (AEST), calling it a "difficult but necessary step" to get the franchise to the next level.
The Raptors hoped they had finally achieved that this season, winning a franchise-record 59 games and entering the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but a second-round sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers showed how far Toronto has to go.
"We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future," team president Masai Ujiri said in a release.
"He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that."
The announcement came two days after Casey was named Coach of the Year by his peers.
Casey went 320-230 (.573) in seven seasons in Toronto, reaching the playoffs five consecutive times and winning at least 50 games three times.
