Ayers named assistant coach
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Ayers named assistant coach
As expected, former Sixers head coach Randy Ayers is rejoining the team as an assistant to Eddie Jordan.
Here is release from the team this afternoon:
The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that Head Coach Eddie Jordan has named Randy Ayers as an assistant coach. Ayers joins a staff comprised of Associate Head Coach Mike O’Koren and Assistant Coaches Jim Lynam and Aaron McKie.
Ayers, who was head coach of the Sixers for 52 games during the 2003-04 season, previously served as an assistant coach on Jordan’s staff in Washington. The Wizards allowed just 99.2 points per game in his first season with the team in 2007-08 after allowing 104.9 ppg the season prior.
Prior to joining the Wizards, Ayers was an assistant coach with Orlando. In his two seasons with the Magic, Ayers helped the team lower its opponents scoring average from 101.8 ppg in 2004-05 to 96.0 ppg in 2005-06 to 94.0 ppg in 2006-07.
No stranger to Philadelphia, Ayers spent six-plus seasons as a member of the Sixers coaching staff, including the stint as head coach in 2003-04. As the top assistant under Head Coach Larry Brown, Ayers helped guide the Sixers to five consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2001.
Ayers coaching career also includes an eight-season run as head coach at The Ohio State University, where he led the Buckeyes to four postseason appearances and back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1991 and 1992. He was named National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press in 1991.
Comment removed.
Why is Stefanski bringing in guys that were already given opportunities here and failed? Tony DiLeo, Royal Ivey, Randy Ayers. Three guys who will do very little to make this organization better and have already proven themselves.— Shenkman3- Give me a break. Randy Ayers, a guy who couldn't win here because the players refused to play for him. He should of stuck with college basketball. This just gets better and better. Nice try Ed Stefanski. Keep it up and you'll be gone at the end of the season.— GoBirds77
- I pay my rent check to Randy Ayres every month...I live in the condo he owned when he coached in Orlando! Big Rand, you can come say wih us when the sixers open in Orlando!— bigguy34
- GOBIRDs77..Your only half right. What rookie/inexperienced coach is going to survive the shenanigans of AI and the constant whining and complaining of Kenny Thomas? Ayres didn't really have a good chance to be successful....better yet, he did not have a prayer when he took the job. This was Billy King's fault. Ayres is class. He will be and has been a good assistant.— bigguy34
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
