Raptors Decline Option On Jay Triano

June 1, 2011

Toronto Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo announced Wednesday the club will not exercise its option on head coach Jay Triano for the 2011-12 season. Triano will be retained as a consultant to the basketball team as a special assistant to the president and general manager.

The search for a new head coach will commence immediately. There is no definitive timetable for the completion of the search process.

“I have great respect for Jay Triano both as a person and as a basketball mind,” said Colangelo. “Jay deserves tremendous credit for developing our young players this past season and our most recent win-loss record does not appropriately reflect his many positive contributions to this organization.

“This was a difficult decision to make, but after almost three full seasons of observation and evaluation I believe that bringing in a new voice as head coach will accelerate the progress we are looking to make in the coming years.

“I am very pleased that Jay has agreed to stay on and help see through the plan that we have designed and initiated together.”

“I am grateful to the organization for the opportunity to be a head coach in the NBA,” said Triano. “I am proud of the work that I and the coaching staff have done with our young players and feel confident we have laid the foundation for a team that will continue to improve. I look forward in assisting Bryan to deliver a championship team to Toronto.”

Triano was promoted to head coach and signed to a three-year contract May 11, 2009. He finished with an 87-142 record (.380).

Triano served as an assistant to three coaches before being named interim head coach December 3, 2008 following the dismissal of Sam Mitchell.

A native of Niagara Falls, Canada, Triano became the first Canadian born and Canadian trained coach in the NBA when he joined Lenny Wilkens’ staff for the 2002-03 season.