The Washington Wizards, who have not won a playoff game in 15 years, hired a coach on Thursday from a team that has reached the NBA Finals two years in a row.
Eddie Jordan, an assistant with the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets, becomes the Wizards' seventh coach in six seasons.
Unlike Michael Jordan, who was dismissed by team owner Abe Pollin in a much-criticized move, Eddie Jordan has ties to the capital. The Washington native played basketball for Archbishop Carroll High School in town.
"I'm coming home to Washington and I am proud to be head coach of the Washington Wizards," Jordan said. "We have a lot of young talent on this roster and I look forward to working with these guys and developing this team into a contender."
The new coach replaces Doug Collins, hand-picked by Michael Jordan and fired last month after consecutive 37-45 seasons. The Wizards' last victory in a playoff game was in 1988.
Like the Wizards, the Nets spent years toiling in the bottom rung of the NBA before making the finals the past two seasons, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers last year and the San Antonio Spurs this year.
Jordan was often cited as the creative mind behind the Nets' offensive style, which featured point guard Jason Kidd.
Before joining the Nets, Eddie Jordan coached the Sacramento Kings for the final 15 games of the 1996-97 season and the entire 1997-98 season, compiling a 33-64 record.
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