FORT MILL, S.C. -- What was already the most difficult season in the Charlotte Hornets' 11-year history has taken another downward turn, this time with the resignation of coach Dave Cowens.
Unable to improve his status as one of the NBA's lowest-paid coaches, Cowens walked into the office of general manager Bob Bass before the team's practice Sunday at its training center and quit.Bass described the reasons as "irreconcilable differences" but refused to elaborate, and team owner George Shinn could not be located for comment. But Charlotte's players and assistant coaches, including Cowens' former Boston Celtics teammate and close friend Paul Silas, said the resignation stemmed from Cowens' frustration at Shinn's refusal to give him a raise.
"I guess he just couldn't take it anymore," Silas said after running what was described as a somber practice following Cowens' departure. "It really, really hurt him, this whole situation."
Silas, the only one of Cowens' three assistants with previous NBA head coaching experience, was to be named today the Hornets' interim head coach.
He'll try to resuscitate a franchise struggling on and off the court.
Shinn has been accused of unwanted sexual conduct by three women, and fans are calling for him to either start paying top dollar to keep good talent or to sell the team. Injuries have sidelined Charlotte's top two players, and one of them, Glen Rice, reportedly is about to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has struggled to a 4-11 record, and attendance has plummeted for a club that used to consistently be among the NBA's leader in sellout crowds.
Cowens, the only coach to lead the Hornets to consecutive 50-win seasons (54-28 in 1996-97, 51-31 in 1997-98), signed a three-year, $1.89 million contract in May 1996. The contract called for him to get $575,000 his first year, $625,000 last year and $675,000 this season.