Charlotte, NC

The Charlotte Bobcats have dismissed Mike Dunlap as head coach after the team barely missed the cellar with a 21-61 record last season.

"As an organization, it was decided that we needed to make a change with the head coach position. We want to thank Mike for his contribution and wish him the best in his future endeavors," said Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins.

Higgins said the team made the decision following a season-ending review with general manager Rich Cho before meeting with Dunlap, who lasted just one season on the job.

Last year, Dunlap came to Bobcats from St. John's, where he served as acting head coach while Steve Lavin recovered from cancer surgery.

Dunlap had not been an NBA head coach previous to this season and had two seasons as an NBA assistant with the Denver Nuggets.

He was instrumental in the improvement of point guard Kemba Walker but had friction at times with some of the veterans, including a verbal altercation with guard Ben Gordon during a shootaround.

The Bobcats' decision came as a surprise as Dunlap was expected to be retained following the team's strong finish, winning its last three games and eight of its last 18.

Dunlap led the Bobcats to a huge improvement, tripling their win compared to last season when they finished just 7-59.

Dunlap was the fifth coach in Bobcats history. One of his predecessors, Sam Vincent, also lasted a single season in the job.

iHaveNet.com