According to Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill, the Detroit Pistons are set to hire ex-Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff as their new head coach. Detroit fired former head coach Monty Williams just weeks ago, after only his first season into a six-year, $78.5 million contract. Bickerstaff, 45, and the Pistons have reportedly agreed to terms on a five-year contract.
Bickerstaff was recently fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers; over five years in Cleveland, he had a 170-159 coaching record. The son of longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff, J.B. began his NBA coaching career as an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2004-05 season. He spent three seasons in Charlotte before taking assistant coaching positions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets. Bickerstaff was back as head coach during the 2015-16 season for the Rockets, and he later coached the Memphis Grizzlies for two seasons prior to taking the Cavaliers’ post.
Bickerstaff has compiled a 255–290 record in 545 career games as a head coach. He is faced with leading a Pistons team coming off a league-worst 14-68 season –and the worst season in the franchise’s history — which also saw Detroit set a dubious NBA record with 28 straight matches lost during one point of their abysmal season.
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