Monty Williams, new Detroit Pistons coach with record contract

Monty Williams, former coach of the Phoenix Suns, became the new coach of the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, replacing Dwane Case.

Williams has agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Pistons, sources told ESPN. It is the largest coaching deal in NBA history.

Williams was fired by the Suns in early May after four seasons as head coach. The move came after the Suns were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.

In Detroit, Williams will replace Dwane Casey, who resigned as the Pistons’ head coach in April for a front office job.

Casey had coached Detroit since 2018, but in five seasons the team went 121-263 (.315). Detroit made the playoffs once during his tenure, in 2018-19, but the team was swept in the first round.

The Pistons have gone seven straight seasons without finishing above .500. His last winning campaign was in 2015-16.

Williams, who won the NBA Coach of the Year award in May 2021, went 194-115 (.628) in the regular season and 27-19 in the playoffs for Phoenix. The Suns won a franchise-record 64 games in 2021-22 and reached the NBA Finals in 2021.