Former Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey has reportedly agreed to take over as head coach of the Detroit Pistons on a five-year deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Casey, 61, was voted "Coach of the Year" by his fellow NBA coaches after leading Toronto to an Eastern Conference-best 59-23 record, the best mark in franchise history, but he was relieved of his duties shortly after another embarrassing four-game sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
During his tenure in Toronto, which began in 2011, Casey led the Raptors to five straight playoff appearances, four Atlantic Division titles and three consecutive 50-win seasons.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Pistons Owner Tom Gores and senior adviser Ed Stefanski "sold Casey with an aggressive contractual commitment and a case that together, they could make the Pistons a perennial playoff team in the Eastern Conference."
The Pistons parted ways with Stan Van Gundy last month after a four year run with the team as President of Basketball Operations and head coach. This past season, Detroit traded for All-Star forward Blake Griffin, who they are hoping to build their roster around alongside Andre Drummond. They finished with a 39-43 record, which was ninth in the Eastern Conference, but they won't have a first round pick in the upcoming draft as a result of the Griffin trade.
