Perth Wildcats coach Scott Morrison says his decision to quit after just one season with the NBL club was purely based on family health reasons.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The upheaval at the Wildcats continued on Thursday when Morrison announced his departure despite having two more years to run on his contract.
Morrison's exit comes just two days after chief executive Troy Georgiu was sacked.
Georgiu had been with the Wildcats for 20 years and served as chief executive since 2017.
Financial controller Sanjer Chowdhury and commercial GM Anthony Radich have also resigned in recent times under the new ownership of Sports Entertainment Network.
SEN boss Craig Hutchison bought the Wildcats last year from the late Jack Bendat, who died in February.
Morrison was appointed coach last August after Trevor Gleeson took up an assistant's role at NBA outfit Toronto Raptors.
The Wildcats made a hot start to the season under Morrison, but they faded badly and ended the campaign in fifth spot with a 16-12 record, ending their world record 35-year play-off streak.
Morrison was keen to stay in Perth, but the Canadian has put the health of his two young children before his coaching career.
"It's not a life-or-death situation, but it's a situation that is a crucial time to make sure we make the right moves and get as much support as we can," Morrison said.
"The choice came down to a potential risk of regret in terms of a parent and a potential risk in my career. We're choosing the latter. That's all I really want to say about it.
"Maybe I won't be the head coach of the Knicks (New York) like I thought I would be when I started coaching, but I still feel pretty good that I can have a career in coaching for sure."
Morrison revealed his father George also sacrificed his coaching career 36 years ago when he quit his post as part of the Canada coaching set-up so he could return home and spend the summer with his family.
"He would never get the chance to coach at that level again for the rest of his career," Morrison said.
Hutchison felt the decision to part ways with Georgiu was the right one.
"There was a lack of alignment between the CEO and where the club and the team ... want to go to get to the next level as a team," Hutchison said.
"Differences of opinion are really healthy in business and we respect each others' opinions.
"We spent a year trying to get aligned and on the same page. Ultimately it didn't end up working out, so we respectfully move onto a new era."
Australian Associated Press
