Stan Van Gundy has parted ways with the Pistons after four seasons as head coach and president of basketball operations, reports ESPN. The two sides reportedly met Monday to discuss their future and decided to split up after four years that ended with zero playoff wins.
The Pistons lured Van Gundy to Detroit in 2014 by offering him the powerful dual role as head coach and president of basketball operations. The hope was that he’d replicate the success he had in previous stops with the Heat and Magic, where he coached teams to five 50-win seasons and three trips to the conference finals.
However, the Pistons were unable to find success under Van Gundy, never winning more than 44 games in any of his four seasons. The team assembled a talented frontcourt led by Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin, but has struggled to emerge from mediocrity in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons will separate the roles of head coach and president of basketball operations in their search for replacements, per ESPN.
Van Gundy first started coaching as an assistant under Pat Riley with the Heat in 1996. He was elevated to the role of head coach in 2003 and led the team to a 59-23 record in his second season. However, the team stumbled out of the gate in his third year and Riley decided to replace Van Gundy on the bench. The Heat would go on to win the title that season.
The Magic gave Van Gundy his second opportunity and he teamed with Dwight Howard to lead Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals. That relationship fell apart over time, though, and the Magic decided to fire Van Gundy after the 2011-12 season. He sat out two years before returning to the NBA in his role with the Pistons.
