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Pacers fire Nate McMillan after being swept in playoffs

August 26, 2020

Indiana Pacers v Miami Heat — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers reacts from the sideline during the first half against the Miami Heat at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 10, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images)

The Indiana Pacers have fired coach Nate McMillan after his team was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.

The move comes after the Pacers had reworked the final year of McMillan’s contract for 2020-21 and added a team option for 2021-22 in the form of a soft extension earlier this month.

Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who is in the final year of his contract, will be an Indiana target should he become available, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Nate McMillan of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Golden State Warriors during an NBA game on November 18, 2008 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Most Wins by Pacers’ Head Coaches

Nate McMillan’s 183 wins rank third by a Pacers head coach since becoming an NBA franchise, trailing only Frank Vogel and Larry Brown.

Coach	Record
Frank Vogel	250-181
Larry Brown	190-138
Nate McMillan	183-136
Rick Carlisle	181-147
Larry Bird	147-67
— ESPN Stats & Information

Indiana also plans to search from a pool of candidates they’d consider “program builders” over the long-term, sources tell Wojnarowski.

In four seasons as the Pacers’ coach, McMillan had a 183-136 record, including 3-16 in the postseason. Indiana was swept in the first round in each of the past two seasons.

The Pacers haven’t reached the second round since appearing in the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014, and after Monday’s loss to Miami, Indiana has lost a franchise-record nine consecutive playoff games.

Injuries have played a key role in the failures. After getting swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017, the Pacers played last season without two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo, who suffered a serious knee injury, and without All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis because of a foot injury against the Heat.

“On behalf of the Simon family and the Pacers organization, I’d like to thank Nate for his years with the team,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “This was a very hard decision for us to make; but we feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to move in a different direction. Nate and I have been through the good times and the bad times; and it was an honor to work with him for those 11 years (in Indiana and Portland).”