After 1-1/2 seasons at the helm of the Grizzlies, Marc Iavaroni has been sacked according to Memphis Commercial-Appeal and NBA.com's David Aldridge.Iavaroni's head has been at risk since last April, when the team reportedly considered ending the coach's run after one bad season. Team owner Michael Heisley pardoned Iavaroni (how gracious) but the guillotine has hung over this season like a promise.
Iavaroni escaped the holiday bloodletting -- six coaches were fired between November 22 and December 15 -- but apparently Heisley's seen enough.
You wonder how much rebounds from fellow awful teams like Oklahoma City and (especially) Minnesota affected the decision to delete Ives. Expectations in Memphis certainly could not have been high heading into the season, but seeing the Wolves get hot this month while the Grizz struggle to avoid self-asphyxiation might make the sour look poisonous from Heisley's seats.
Aldridge reports assistant Johnny Davis, an age-old hand around the league, will take over on an interim basis. This indicates the search for Iavaroni's permanent replacement is on, and mentions recently vanquished 76ers coach and Milwaukee assistant Lionel Hollins, who coached the Vancouver version of the team for a spell.
As for Iavaroni: he really was the hottest name in coaching when he got his gig in Memphis. Heisley felt so confident in him that Iavaroni was hired months before Memphis added a general manager. Iavaroni helped run the draft that netted Mike Conley. This bad stint leading the Grizz might mean Iavaroni is done as a head coach for a while, but I bet old boss Mike D'Antoni or any number of other head coaches would jump at the chance to bring him in as a top assistant.
