Nets fire head coach Hollins, reassign general manager

[January 11, 2016]  (Reuters) - The struggling Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Lionel Hollins on Sunday and re-assigned general manager Billy King within the organization, the National Basketball Association team said.

The Nets, who are second to last in the Eastern Conference this season with a 10-27 record, said assistant coach Tony Brown would serve as interim head coach until a full-time replacement was found.

"After careful consideration, I've concluded that it's time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team," Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement.

"By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records.

"It's clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture ... and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching."

The Nets are on a four-game losing streak and have lost nine in a row at their home venue, the Barclays Center, where attendance has been steadily dropping.

They had advanced to the postseason for three straight years since relocating from New Jersey for their 2012-13 campaign but this season they have been struggling.

Hollins was appointed head coach in July 2014 and went on to compile a 48-71 record, while King had been general manager of the club since 2010.

"I want to thank Billy for his hard work in the development of the Nets," Prokhorov said of King, who had orchestrated high-profile moves that brought Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.

"At every step of the way, he has been aggressive in his quest to build a winning team and has been a key factor toward the Nets making the playoffs for each of the last three seasons."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry Fine)

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