ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220099
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Denver's Dick Motta is the latest in a long line of NBA coaches to be handed a pink slip.
The year of the coaching change didn't end with the regular season.
The list of fired coaches grew to nine Monday when the Denver Nuggets made their second change of the season, jettisoning Dick Motta and his entire staff.
The Philadelphia 76ers fired Johnny Davis on Sunday in the first of what is expected to be a series of off-season dismissals.
M.L. Carr is expected to be replaced as coach of the Boston Celtics, Larry Brown is free to leave the Pacers if he chooses, and Rick Adelman is said to be in danger of being fired by Golden State.
There were seven firings during the regular season: Cotton Fitzsimmons in Phoenix, Bernie Bickerstaff in Denver, Jim Lynam in Washington, Brian Winters in Vancouver, Garry St.Jean in Sacramento, Brian Hill in Orlando and Bob Hill in San Antonio.
And of the 16 teams not already mentioned, seven have coaches with less than two years' experience.
Clearly, the NBA coaching carousel is twirling as strong as ever.
``We're trying to move forward in a new direction to give ourselves a fresh start,'' was the predictable comment of Nuggets vice president Allen Bristow on Monday as he announced Motta's firing.
``I'm a pretty impatient person,'' Bristow said. ``I want this thing to turn around, and I'm not going to hide behind a three-year or four-year [rebuilding] plan.
Davis was fired by the 76ers along with general manager Brad Greenberg, and owner Pat Croce said he would take a shot at hiring Rick Pitino away from the University of Kentucky.
The Celtics contacted Pitino a few weeks ago to ask if he had any interest in replacing Carr, and were told Pitino wasn't looking to leave Kentucky. But Pitino never has been shy about listening.
Another prominent name that will pop up is that of Chuck Daly, the former Detroit and New Jersey coach who would welcome a return to the bench for a big check.
The Celtics refused to confirm a report in Monday's Boston Globe that the decision to fire Carr already has been made.
Brown told the Pacers on Sunday that he would decide soon whether to return. Pacers general manager Donnie Walsh said the team was willing to let Brown out of the final two years of his contract.
Rumors of Adelman's demise have been circulating for months, along with speculation about the fate of general manager Dave Twardzik.
Jim Cleamons' fate in Dallas was the subject of much debate, too, but owner Ross Perot Jr. went out of his way Monday to say the coach will be back for the second year of his three-year contract - even if new general manager Don Nelson would rather bring in someone else.
``This is one that was, in effect, done before Nellie got here,'' Perot said.
The Vancouver Grizzlies also will be looking for a new coach. General manager Stu Jackson took over on an interim basis after firing Winters, and he plans to return exclusively to the front office.
Gregg Popovich took over the Spurs on an interim basis, but he may be back next season - reportedly because the team is having monetary problems and can have Popovich do two jobs for the price of one.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB