Dwane Casey Won NBA Coach Of The Year After Being Fired By Toronto (And Hired By Detroit)

In early May, word broke that Dwane Casey was named National Basketball Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year but, days later, that particular announcement wasn’t enough to save his job with the Toronto Raptors. Since then, Casey has landed on his feet with a lucrative deal to lead the Detroit Pistons as the franchise’s head coach but, before his new endeavor begins in full, the 61-year-old veteran notched one final recognition for his work north of the border.

Casey was named as the 2018-2019 NBA Coach of the Year during Monday’s NBA Awards Show, edging out Utah’s Quin Snyder and Boston’s Brad Stevens for the annual honor.

Casey offered up a speech that was all class, thanking his Raptors players and also noting the elephant in the room which was his firing and subsequent hiring in Detroit.

Given the overall weirdness and strange timing associated with his exit, many are certainly happy to see Casey’s work recognized. After all, he led the Raptors to a .573 winning percentage over the course of seven seasons and, if not for the mere presence of LeBron James, it is safe to assume that Toronto’s 59-win performance this season would have been enough to save his job with the Raptors.

Fortunately, Casey will have the opportunity to continue to prove his coaching acumen moving forward in Detroit but his performance in Toronto is something that voters certainly appreciated.