Posted May 11 2009 12:47PM
TORONTO (AP) -- Jay Triano signed a three-year contract Monday to coach the Toronto Raptors, dropping the interim tag after taking over the team during the season.
Triano was promoted Dec. 3 after Sam Mitchell's dismissal.
The Raptors went 25-40 under Triano but finished strong, going 9-4 in their final 13 games.
"Despite some difficult circumstances this past season, Jay Triano never stopped coaching, teaching and leading this team which resulted in a very strong finish," Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said in a release. "After undertaking a thorough evaluation process, it is clear that Jay is the right coach to guide this team in the future."
A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, the 50-year-old Triano became the first Canadian-born and Canadian-trained coach in the NBA when he was hired in 2002 as an assistant to Lenny Wilkens. He spent six years as the Canadian national team's coach, leading the squad to a seventh-place finish at the 2000 Olympics.
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