Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Wednesday that the organization has parted ways with head coach Scott Brooks.
Brooks went 338-207 over seven seasons with the Thunder and was named the 2009-10 NBA Coach of the Year.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti traveled to meet Brooks near his California home on Wednesday and delivered the news, according to Yahoo! Sports.
"This is an extremely difficult decision on many levels. Scott helped establish the identity of the Thunder and has earned his rightful place in the history of our organization through his seven years as a valued leader and team member," said Presti in a statement.
Oklahoma City missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season this year, the first time they failed to make the postseason since 2008-09. The Thunder finished 45-37 with superstar Kevin Durant lost for most of the year. Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka also missed time.
"As we all know, this past year we had unique and challenging circumstances and as I have conveyed, not many people could have accomplished what Scott and this team were able to," added Presti. "Therefore, it is very important to state that this decision is not a reflection of this past season, but rather an assessment of what we feel is necessary at this point in time in order to continually evolve, progress and sustain. We determined that, in order to stimulate progress and put ourselves in the best position next season and as we looked to the future, a transition of this kind was necessary for the program."
The 49-year-old Brooks took over for P.J. Carlesimo in the 2008-09 season and coached for the final 69 games.
In his first full season at the helm in 2009-10, Brooks was awarded the NBA Coach of the Year award after guiding the Thunder to a 50-32 record and the franchise's first postseason since moving to Oklahoma City. The club lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
Brooks led the team to a 39-34 postseason record, including three appearances in the Western Conference Finals (2011, 2012, 2014), as well as a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012.
The Thunder will initiate the search for a new head coach immediately.
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