76ers name their new head coach

Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King announced on Friday, June 20 that the team has named Randy Ayers as its new head coach. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I am extremely excited to hire Randy,� King said. “Randy has a great ability to teach. He is a strong communicator, which I feel you need to be in order to be effective in today’s game. He has worked with some great coaches, and has developed defensive and offensive philosophies from those basketball minds.�

Ayers, 47, becomes the 18th head coach in the history of the 76ers franchise. A six-year veteran of the Philadelphia coaching staff, he joined the team as the physical conditioning coach in June 1997 before earning a spot as an assistant coach in July 1998. As Larry Brown’s top assistant, Ayers helped guide the 76ers to five-straight NBA Playoff appearances including a trip to the Finals in 2001. Known for his pressure-defense mindset and up-tempo style, Ayers learned under the likes of Pete Gaudet, a Mike Krzyzewski assistant, at the U.S. Military Academy; Eldon Miller and Gary Williams at Ohio State; and Brown