Jun 10, 2008 - 12:56 PM
0 shoutsAUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Michael Curry was named the Detroit Pistons' new head coach Tuesday, promising change in how the team will be prepared for every game.
Curry, who spent this past season as an assistant with the Pistons, replaced Flip Saunders, who was fired last week.
The 39-year-old Curry said that the Pistons will play hard and be well-prepared, with every player and coach being held accountable.
"We're going to be a staff that is going to be here from the summer until the end of the season, and will be here for players to continue to develop and breaking down other teams in the league," Curry said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "We're going to be a hard-working staff from top to bottom."
Terms of Curry's contract were not available, but the Detroit News reported that he received a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option.
Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said he knew that Curry had what it took to be a coach ever since they were teammates with the Pistons in the mid-1990's. Curry also was a former teammate of current Pistons Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince late in his playing career.
"I knew (Curry) had the qualities to be a coach and I knew he had the qualities to be a leader," Dumars said. "He's a natural leader, commands respect and is well-disciplined.
"Given his strong knowledge of the game and tireless work ethic, we feel he is the right person to lead our team. Michael understands the culture of our franchise and its expectations."
Curry inherits a Pistons team that has lost in the Eastern Conference finals each of the last three years under Saunders.
Saunders posted a 176-70 regular-season record in his three seasons with Detroit, compiling the best regular-season winning percentage (.715) in franchise history.
But Saunders' first postseason with Detroit ended in disappointment, as the Pistons lost to the eventual champion Miami Heat in the conference finals.
After going 53-29 in 2006-07, Detroit was upset in the Eastern Conference finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rallied from a 2-0 series deficit.
The Pistons were one of the NBA's top teams again this season, going 59-23 en route to the No. 2 seed in the East.
But after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Pistons again were ousted in the conference finals - this time by the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
Curry said one of his goals is to get the Pistons back to the NBA Finals - and that it's his job to have his team ready for every game.
"It's hard to get to the Finals," Curry said. "You have to play really well, you have to prepare very well. I'm not as much nervous as I am anxious."
Curry retired after an 11-year career - six seasons with the Pistons - in 2005 and served as the vice president of player development in the National Basketball Developmental League for two seasons before joining the Pistons' staff in 2007.
