Toronto Raptors FIRE HC Nick Nurse, Former Celtics coach in potential replacement talks
Toronto Raptors fire former “Coach of the Year” Nick Nurse as he’ll now be pursued by the Houston Rockets. Coach search immediately begins for the Raptors.
Follow Us
Nick Nurse and Ime Udoka
Toronto Raptors have FIRED their Head Coach Nick Nurse. Nurse won Raptors the 2019 NBA title, and was voted the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Nurse will immediately become a prominent candidate in the Houston Rockets’ coaching search. The Raptors also seem to have found an immediate replacement in Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics’ ex-Head Coach. Udoka who was initially speculated to join the Rockets after his interview is now a serious candidate for the Raptors.
The Toronto Raptors finished 10th in the Eastern Conference falling 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls in the 9-10 Eastern Conference Play-In game. Nurse was associated with the Raptors for 5 years as their Head Coach. During his tenure, the Raptors clinched two Atlantic Division championships and made three playoff appearances. Under Nurse, their overall record stood at 227-163 (2nd in franchise history in wins, 1st in winning %).
The Raptors now seem to be pursuing Ime Udoka, the man in huge demand in the league, as their Head Coach. Udoka had a controversial past with his previous team, the Boston Celtics. Celtics parted ways with Ime Udoka in February. They cited a violation of the team’s code of conduct as the reason for his termination. He was suspended for the 2022-2023 NBA season for engaging in a romantic relationship with a member of the staff.
Udoka had guided the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals and was hoping to carry the momentum for a second season. However, everything took an unexpected turn when Udoka violated the team’s rules. Despite the controversies surrounding Udoka, other teams continue to express interest in him, including the Raptors.
Toronto Raptors and Nick Nurse, a sudden end to the “Coach of the Year” tale
In a press release, the Raptors’ Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri broke the news to the media. He said, “The decision to make a change like this is never arrived at easily or taken lightly, especially when it comes to a person who has been an integral part of this franchise’s most historic accomplishments, and who has been a steady leader through some of our team’s most challenging times. As we reflect on Nick’s many successes, we thank him and his family, and wish them the best in future.”
The Toronto Raptors had experienced organizational failure in the past three years, leading to a disappointing season. To avoid mediocrity, they needed a long-overdue reset of the front office, coaches, players, and franchise. While replacing the coach or overhauling the roster may help, an organizational reset is necessary. This means a culture reset is not enough; the team needs a complete overhaul to avoid being stuck in mediocrity.
The firing of Nick Nurse as head coach seems to be the beginning of that organizational reset for the team. It will be interesting to see who gets selected as the Head Coach for the team. Will it be Udoka or someone else? We’ll find these answers eventually as the Toronto Raptors figure the plan out for the future. It’ll be interesting to watch how this reset plays out for the team.
In case you missed it:
- Fox Sports’ Nick Wright TAUNTS colleague for implying referees are conspiring against Warriors in playoff series vs Kings
- Why is Michael Jordan NOT on social media?
Stay Updated!
Harshit Singh
(434 Articles Published)