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NBA: 15 Harshest Coach Firings Of All Time

By Phil Watson

Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt (right) reacts beside forward LeBron James (23) against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-98. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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DALLAS – APRIL 22: Head coach Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks talks to Jerry Stackhouse #42 as he heads back to the bench against the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center April 22, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
DALLAS – APRIL 22: Head coach Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks talks to Jerry Stackhouse #42 as he heads back to the bench against the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center April 22, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

14. Mavericks Fire Avery Johnson (May 2, 2008)

Avery Johnson’s rise as coach of the Dallas Mavericks was meteoric. His demise may have been even faster.

Johnson was fired after the Mavericks were bounced from the playoffs in five games by the New Orleans Hornets, putting an ugly bow on a season that unraveled after the Mavericks mortgaged a large chunk of their future to bring All-Star point guard Jason Kidd back to Dallas at the trade deadline.

Dallas finished the regular season just 16-13 after re-acquiring Kidd from the Nets along with a pair of role players in exchange for rising star Devin Harris, two first-round picks and some contracts to make the money work.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Dallas Mavericks

Johnson, who had joined Don Nelson’s staff as an assistant immediately after concluding a 16-year career as a point guard that included a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, was elevated to head coach after Nelson resigned in March 2005.

He guided Dallas to a 16-2 record the rest of the way before Dallas was bounced in the second round of the playoffs. Johnson followed that up with a 60-22 record and the Mavericks’ first-ever trip to the NBA Finals en route to Coach of the Year honors in 2005-06.

Dallas won a franchise-record 67 games in 2006-07, but fell apart in a six-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in the first round and the hangover was evident in 2007-08 as Dallas struggled to 51 wins.

The Aftermath For Johnson: After a couple of years on TV, Johnson was hired by the New Jersey Nets, going 60-116 in parts of three seasons before being fired in December 2012. Another two-year TV stint concluded last spring when he was hired as head coach at the University of Alabama.

The Aftermath For The Mavericks: Dallas turned to Rick Carlisle, former coach of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, and he is now in his eighth season on the Mavs’ bench. He led the team to an NBA title in 2010-11 and has taken Dallas to the playoffs in six of seven full seasons at the helm. With 363 wins through Jan. 26, he is the all-time winningest coach in franchise history.

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