Tweet
Randy Wittman, Washington Wizards agree to contract extension - ESPN
The Washington Wizards have signed coach Randy Wittman to a contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal, which begins in July, is for two years and also includes a team option for a third year, a source told ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.
The move was expected.
ESPN.com reported May 16, after Washington's second-round playoff elimination by the Indiana Pacers, that "all signs point" to Wittman receiving a new deal following Washington's 44 wins and a first-round upset of the Chicago Bulls.
And Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said in an interview with the local NBC affiliate in Washington last week that Wittman "deserves the opportunity to come back" after doing so well in the final year of his previous contract.
"I thought the coach did a very fine job for us," Leonsis said in the interview. "We're sitting down and talking to Randy and his people. Randy did a very fine job. We did all the exit interviews. I'm finding that doing some of the exit interviews are a very good process for us. You learn lots of stuff. The players respected the coach, and they played hard for him. I think he deserves the opportunity to come back and lead us even deeper in the playoffs."
Wittman was promoted to head coach when Flip Saunders was fired in January 2012, the third rebuilding project Wittman has undertaken. He has the worst win-loss record in NBA regular-season history of anyone who has coached at least 400 games -- 191-329 -- since the league started in 1946.
The deal, which begins in July, is for two years and also includes a team option for a third year, a source told ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.
The move was expected.
ESPN.com reported May 16, after Washington's second-round playoff elimination by the Indiana Pacers, that "all signs point" to Wittman receiving a new deal following Washington's 44 wins and a first-round upset of the Chicago Bulls.
And Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said in an interview with the local NBC affiliate in Washington last week that Wittman "deserves the opportunity to come back" after doing so well in the final year of his previous contract.
"I thought the coach did a very fine job for us," Leonsis said in the interview. "We're sitting down and talking to Randy and his people. Randy did a very fine job. We did all the exit interviews. I'm finding that doing some of the exit interviews are a very good process for us. You learn lots of stuff. The players respected the coach, and they played hard for him. I think he deserves the opportunity to come back and lead us even deeper in the playoffs."
Wittman was promoted to head coach when Flip Saunders was fired in January 2012, the third rebuilding project Wittman has undertaken. He has the worst win-loss record in NBA regular-season history of anyone who has coached at least 400 games -- 191-329 -- since the league started in 1946.