Mavericks Fire Avery Johnson After Another Playoff Flop

The Dallas Mavericks fired head coach Avery Johnson on Wednesday, one day after the team lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. As reported by ESPN:  "It is never easy to relieve a coach of his duties, especially one of Avery's caliber," Owner Mark Cuban said in a statement. "He is a talented coach and I want to thank him for his efforts over the last fours years and what he has done for this franchise." Johnson's regular season record with the Mavs was an impressive 194-70. However, his 23-24 playoff record was what did him in. Dallas' 3-12 playoff record since holding a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA Finals didn't help Johnson's cause, either.  Last year, a 67-win Dallas team lost in the first round to the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors. This monumental loss came just one season after Johnson was named the NBA's coach of the year. After Tuesday's game five loss against the Hornets, Cuban and Johnson agreed that a change would be best for both sides.  Johnson's Mavericks failed to capitalize on the Jason Kidd trade this season, going 17-17 after he arrived. Dallas was 35-18 before the trade. Kidd's player option for 2008-09 will pay him $21 million, making it likely he will return to Dallas. Whoever replaces Johnson as the Mavs' coach next season is going to have a difficult time improving the team. Rick Carlisle is a possibility, as well as Phoenix's Mike D'Antoni, should he lose his job. As for Avery Johnson, he shouldn't be un-employed long, as the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks are among the teams with coaching vacancies. Johnson could be just what the Knicks needs, a no-nonsense disciplinary coach. Then again, New York has plenty of massive egos as is it. A young Chicago team may be the better fit for Johnson. Only time will tell. OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK The Business of Sports Network's Sports Challenge for Autism Awareness - The Business of Sports Network Jacoby Ellsbury Signs Endorsement Deal with owater - The Biz of Baseball Rangers Hire Dale Petroskey as VP of Mrkt & Comm. Dev. - The Biz of Baseball READ IT: CBC's Response to the Petition for Cert - The Biz of Baseball MLB Hires Matt Bourne as VP of Business PR - The Biz of Baseball Sticker Shock: NY All-Star Gm Tix to run $150-$725 - The Biz of Baseball Nearly All Suites Sold for New Twins Stadium - The Biz of Baseball The New Mandatory: Integrating Sponsors Into the Game - The Biz of Baseball Inside the Numbers: A 6-Year Look at the Forbes Valuations - The Biz of Baseball Comments from MLB of TBS (Yankees v Indians) - The Biz of Baseball Vin Scully Honored at Pepperdine University Graduation - The Biz of Baseball Interview-Five Questions With Chris Albanese-Tight End-Ohio Dominican - The Biz of Football UCLA QB Cowan Done for Season - The Biz of Football Lions Select Army's Campbell With 7th Round Pick - The Biz of Football Draft Breaks Record With 33 Trades - The Biz of Football NBC Picks Up Option to Carry "NHL on NBC" for 2008-2009 Season - The Biz of HockeyPredators Extend Contracts of Trotz and his Coaching Staff - The Biz of HockeyNick Kappel is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey.He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles more...