Trail Blazers and Terry Stotts Agree to Part Ways

The Trail Blazers announced on Friday night that they have mutually agreed to part ways with longtime coach Terry Stotts.

Jack Winter

Trail Blazers and Terry Stotts Agree to Part Ways
Trail Blazers and Terry Stotts Agree to Part Ways /

The Trail Blazers announced on Friday night that the team has mutually agreed to part ways with longtime head coach Terry Stotts.

“I have the utmost respect for Terry and what he has accomplished these past nine seasons,” Portland general manager Neil Olshey said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision on both a personal and professional level but it’s in the best interest of the franchise to move in another direction. Terry will always hold a special place in the Trail Blazer family and the Portland community. We relied on the integrity, professionalism and consistency he brought to the job every day and we wish he and Jan nothing but the best.”

“We are all grateful for Terry’s contributions and his nine years with the Trail Blazers,” franchise chair Jody Allen said. “I appreciate his steadfast dedication to the players, the game, and the broader Portland community. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Rumors of Stotts' potential dismissal first swirled in March, with subsequent reporting indicating he would be fired barring a "playoff miracle." On Friday morning, multiple reports surfaced about Los Angeles Lakers assistant and Hall-of-Fame point guard Jason Kidd being Portland's "top target" if Stotts was to depart. 

Kidd, whose previously brief head-coaching stints came with the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, has received rave reviews during his two-season tenure with the Lakers under Frank Vogel. In 2001, he was arrested and eventually pleaded guilty to spousal abuse for striking his then-wife. 

The Blazers were ousted from the postseason by the short-handed Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Less than 24 hours later, Stotts' nine-year tenure in Rip City officially comes to a close.

Stotts took the reins with the Blazers in 2012-13, finishing his career with an overall regular-season record of 402-318 (.558). After a debut campaign the Blazers finished below-.500, he guided them to eight consecutive playoff appearances – the longest active streak in the NBA.

The majority of those playoff runs were short, Portland ousted from the first round five times. The Blazers' lone Western Conference Finals appearance was in 2018-19, ending with a four-game sweep by the Golden State Warriors, who played without Kevin Durant.

Stotts, a 27-year coaching veteran, leaves Portland as the organization's second-winningest head coach behind Hall-of-Famer Jack Ramsey.

READ MORE: Damian Lillard Keeps it Real about Trail Blazers' Need for Change

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Jack Winter
JACK WINTER

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