Wizards' Scott Brooks Out As Head Coach After Five Seasons

WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Wizards are looking for a new head coach after announcing Wednesday that Scott Brooks’ contract would not be extended.

Brooks’ tenure with the Wizards ends following the team’s surprising return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. In this year's playoffs, the Wizards lost in the first-round to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Wizards never made it past the second round of the playoffs during Brooks’s tenure. His most successful season was his first in 2016-17 when the Wizards finished 49-33, the team’s best record since the 1978-79 championship season.

Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard said Wednesday the team would begin their coaching search immediately.

“Our organization will always be grateful to Scott for his dedication and work both on the court and in the community over the past five years, and I personally admire and respect how he helped keep our team together during the unprecedented events of the last 15 months,” Sheppard said in a statement Wednesday.

Brooks, 55, compiled a 183-207 record in five years with the Wizards. He came to Washington after getting fired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in April 2015.

In his seven years with the Thunder, where he coached superstar Kevin Durant and future Wizard and triple-double all-time leader Russell Westbrook, Brooks had a 338-207 record. He led the Thunder to the NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to the 2012 NBA Champions, the Miami Heat.

Despite this season’s playoff appearance, Brooks was not always a fan favorite. Many blamed Brooks for his teams' lack of discipline. Aside from the 2017-18 season when they had the 15th best defensive rating, the Wizards never finished higher than 20th in the NBA in their defensive rating.