Report: Grizzlies fire coach Iavaroni, to hire Hollins

Jan 23, 2009 - 7:26 AM MEMPHIS (Ticker) -- The poor play of the Memphis Grizzlies has led to a grisly end to Marc Iavaroni's tenure as coach of the team. No time was wasted in naming his successor.

The Grizzlies relieved Iavaroni of his coaching duties Thursday after 1 1/2 seasons, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported, citing team sources. The team has an 11-30 record and is on a seven-game losing streak.

The Commercial Appeal said that former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, now an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, will be named as Iavaroni's replacement. This would be his third time as Memphis' head man after two interim stints.

The newspaper said that Hollins plans to bring with him former Philadelphia 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks and former Los Angeles Clippers coach Barry Heckler.

The Grizzlies will play on the road Friday against the New York Knicks and at home against the New Jersey Nets on Saturday. Grizzlies assistant Johnny Davis will take over for those two games, the report said.

Hollins engineered a 10-year NBA career and was a member of the champion 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.

For his part, Iavaroni was put in a difficult position with the lowly Grizzlies, who traded away star center Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers last season in one of the most lopsided swaps in recent memory.

The team's other veteran star, Mike Miller, then was dealt in a draft-day trade with Minnesota that was used to acquire lottery pick O.J. Mayo. The youth movement was on.

However, it didn't quite work out for Iavaroni, who was a staunch defensive coach with an inexperienced team. Ironically, he had a background as an assistant with Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun teams in Phoenix for five seasons.

A former NBA champion with the fabled 1983 Sixers, Iavaroni was allowed to oversee the Grizzlies' practice in Charlotte before flying to New York on Thursday, the report said. The newspaper reported he was notified of his dismissal several hours after landing.

Iavaroni also spent time as an assistant director of player personnel with the Miami Heat under Pat Riley after landing his first NBA job as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On May 31, 2007, he took over for Tony Barone Sr., who guided Memphis on an interim basis after Mike Fratello was fired.