Pacers fire Nate McMillan after four seasons

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers have fired head coach Nate McMillan.

McMillan was 183-136 in four seasons. He was 3-16 in the playoffs.

“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).”

The team had signed McMillan to a contract extension earlier this month.

Since then, the team was swept in the first round of NBA Playoffs by the Miami Heat.

The Pacers made the playoffs in all four seasons under McMillan, but never made it out of the first round. The team was swept three times.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that current Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni “will be an Indiana target should be become available.”

McMillan was associate head coach for the Pacers for three seasons before becoming head coach.

He had previous coaching stints with Seattle and Portland.

His overall coaching record is 661-558, with a playoff record of 17-36.