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76ers fire Doc Rivers two days after conference semifinals loss

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 5/16/23

Two days after Philadelphia was eliminated from the playoffs, the 76ers announced they fired head coach Doc Rivers.

On Sunday, Rivers and the Sixers were blown out 112-88 by the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

His dismissal is the third firing of a coach that led his team to the postseason in 2023. The Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer on May 4, and the Suns fired Monty Williams on May 13.

Among teams that finished outside the top 10 in each conference, only two franchises (Detroit, Houston) fired their head coaches.

Toronto was eliminated in the play-in tournament and fired Nick Nurse on April 21. Nurse won an NBA title in 2019, his first year as Raptors head coach. Philly Inquirer's David Murphy had an amusing thought about him as it pertains to the Sixers.

From a Doc to a Nurse
— David Murphy (@ByDavidMurphy) May 16, 2023

It would be poetic, but the 76ers have other proven options to choose from, not to mention rising assistant coaches around the league.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski laid out an initial candidate list after Rivers was fired.

The Sixers’ search for a new coach is expected to include Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Monty Williams, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, 2023

The next Sixers coach has one goal: win a championship with Joel Embiid. James Harden is expected to receive interest from the Rockets in a potential reunion, so there's no guarantee he'll be back in the fold for the 2023-24 season. Tobias Harris' sizable contract could be used in a trade package to net a star to pair with Embiid.

It's a big role for a head coach to fill, but Philadelphia isn't the only organization to set its next coach up with a tall task.

The Bucks and Suns also showed this offseason a head coach is an easy scapegoat for a season that ends in disappointment. Budenholzer, Rivers and Williams had a combined record of 157-89 (.638) this season, but the combined postseason record of 14-13 (.519) weighed more heavily in deciding their futures.

Coaching in the NBA is a tough gig, and no more so than for those who are good at it. That's not to suggest the coaches who were fired were unimpeachable. All had valid criticisms against them, and a change of scenery was for the best.

The Bucks were dispatched with ease in the first round by eight-seeded Miami, the Suns were embarrassed in a close-out game at home in consecutive seasons and the Sixers blew a 3-2 series lead.

Anything short of delivering a championship will put Philly's next coach on the hot seat. For prospective candidates, coaching Embiid would be great. Job security might be better.

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