Detroit Pistons Terminates Head Coach Monty Williams A Year After Signing Him To Largest Contract In NBA History

Last year, Williams signed a reported six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Pistons.

A year after being issued the largest coaching deal in NBA history, Monty Williams has been terminated by the Detroit Pistons after only a year of service to the team.

The team announced its decision on June 19.

“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores in a written statement. “Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward.”

“I have great respect for Monty as a coach and as a person and I am certain he will be successful in his future endeavors. I sincerely wish him and his family the very best.”

“I have great respect for Monty as a coach and as a person and I am certain he will be successful in his future endeavors”

The #Pistons announced today that Monty Williams will not return next season as the team’s head coach: https://t.co/8a4e7hHeOW

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 19, 2024

In June 2023, Williams agreed to take on the head coaching position with the Pistons for a reported six-year, $78.5 million contract. The agreement was the largest coaching deal in NBA history.

Williams won NBA Coach of the Year in 2022 as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. A year after winning the award, he was fired by the Suns after they were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals. He had a winning record as a head coach with a total of 194 wins against 115 losses (.628) in regular season games. His playoff record for the Suns stands at 27-19. The team made it to the NBA Finals in 2021 and won a franchise-record 64 games in 2021-22.

Williams played his collegiate career at Notre Dame from 1989 to 1994 before becoming the New York Knicks’ 24th NBA first-draft pick in 1994. He played for the Knicks, the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets, the Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers during his NBA career.