Detroit Pistons to hire Dwane Casey on five-year deal, per report

The Detroit Pistons’ head coaching search has reportedly come to an end with news that Dwane Casey has agreed to a five-year deal.

The gears of change have been slow to turn for the Detroit Pistons this offseason but things are starting to move. The hiring of Ed Stefanski was the first big domino to fall as his hiring as a senior advisor set about the process of reshaping the Pistons in the front office as well as on the sideline.

Stefanski has been in the process of filling both the head coach position as well as general manager, but the hiring of the head coach has come first.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report today that the Pistons and Dwane Casey have agreed to a five-year deal to make him the team’s next head coach.

Casey comes to Detroit with a strong resume, including the distinction of being the defending NBA Coach of the Year. Casey received the honor after leading the Toronto Raptors to 59-23 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Raptors fired Casey after being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. It was the third year in a row the Raptors were eliminated by LeBron James and the Cavs, including two in a row in a sweep. For all the success Casey had in Toronto, the Cavaliers proved to be a hump the Raptors could not get over and it ultimately cost Casey his job.

Casey will now get to see the Cavaliers even more often with a move to the Central Division. If LeBron James stays with the Cavaliers Casey will have to worry about the Cavs in the regular season instead of just the playoffs.

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A press conference is not expected until this week. Contract terms were not immediately available but Vince Ellis reports it is just over $7 million per year, or similar to the contract Stan Van Gundy had with the Pistons.