Detroit Pistons Hire New Coach

Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images

[via The Detroit News] The Pistons on Tuesday passed on hiring Avery Johnson as their next head coach. Instead, Pistons president Joe Dumars decided on former Pistons and current Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester.

Kuester and Dumars agreed late Tuesday night on a two-year contract with a team option for a third worth $1.5 million a year.

Kuester was an assistant under Larry Brown during the Pistons’ championship season of 2003-04.
Dumars last hired an experienced, high-profile assistant coach in 2001 when he gave Rick Carlisle his first head coaching job.

With commitments from free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, plus drafting three offensively skilled forwards — Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko — Dumars is building a more offensive-oriented team.