Wes Unseld Jr. out as Wizards coach, moving to front office. Brian Keefe named interim replacement
WASHINGTON — Amid a rebuild without much of a foundation, the Washington Wizards’ front office felt the players needed to hear from a new voice.
Wes Unseld Jr. was ousted Thursday as the Wizards’ coach midway through his third season with the team, which has the second-fewest wins in the NBA. Assistant Brian Keefe was named interim coach.
Unseld will remain with the the team in a front-office advisory role. The Wizards entered Thursday night’s game against Utah having lost lost five in a row and 11 of their past 12 games.
Wizards president Michael Winger, who is overseeing the team’s rebuild, said he made the decision after several meetings including him, Unseld and general manager Will Dawkins.
“We would talk about the team. We would talk about the competitiveness of the team, player accountability, joy — our principles,” Winger said. “It sort of became clearer that there was just this sustained something less than our competitive selves and you just kept feeling it and seeing it, and Wes did, too. He saw it. He knew it. He felt it. And he gave it everything he had.
“The team he inherited from us this season is significantly different from the teams he had the last couple of years. The job he took two years ago was different than when he had this year.”
Washington’s top two players — Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis — were traded in the offseason, with the Wizards receiving little in return. Nonetheless, Winger felt the players on the roster weren’t competitive enough.
“These are conversations we have with them,” Winger said. “We met with them today, there’s not a single player in that locker room that’s happy with this outcome. Every single one of them raised their hand when we asked the question, ‘Who in this room is responsible for this?’ Every single player raised their hand. They know it.”
The Wizards said they will search for a full-time replacement in the offseason.
Unseld, 48, is the son of the late Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, who helped the then-Bullets win the 1978 NBA title and later coached the team. The Wizards went 77-130 under the younger Unseld.
