Sixers news: Brett Brown fired after seven seasons as head coach

The Sixers have fired head coach Brett Brown.

In unceremonious and completely unsurprising fashion, Brett Brown was officially relieved of his head coaching duties on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Sixers will now look to replace him, with “mutual interest” expected between Philadelphia and former Cavs head coach Ty Lue.

This is, again, not surprising. The writing was on the wall as soon as the buzzer sounded on Sunday’s Game 4 loss. A first-round sweep, even in the absence of Ben Simmons, was never going to end in another swing at the plate for Brown — deserved or undeserved.

A lot has been reported over the past couple days about Brown’s unique seven-year tenure in South Philly. It’s clear has was not a perfect coach. His locker rooms lacked accountability, he reportedly avoids confrontation, and his Xs and Os didn’t always please the Sixers fanbase.

Even so, Brown has done immense good over the past seven years. He was a scapegoat for the media during “the process,” then a scapegoat during the Sixers’ unexpectedly tumultuous 2019-20 season. He never advanced past the second round, but he endured endless change and roster fluctuation during his tenure, all without losing one ounce of character.

If anything, Brown should be remembered as a good person. Someone who teammates, fellow coaches, and fans respected — even if his voice wasn’t always as strong as it needed to be. He’s a compassionate coach, and someone who cares deeply about the people in the locker room. I’m certain he will land on his feet somewhere else.

As for the Sixers, this cannot be the only change. I will emphasize this point until the futility becomes too much to bear. Right now, the expectation is Elton Brand will remain in charge of basketball operations. That is a mistake. A simple coaching change will not elevate the current iteration of Philadelphia’s roster to championship — or even moderately competitive — heights.

The Sixers were the No. 6 seed for reasons that far exceeded Brett Brown. He was an easy fall guy, and yes, he was indeed at fault. But only partially, and the Sixers must continue to take a long look in the mirror once Brown’s office is vacated.

More to come.