Pistons fire coach John Kuester. Finally.

The sale of the Detroit Pistons to Tom Gores has finally gone through, and he has taken only a few days to start the process of rebuilding the franchise.

That starts by firing coach John Kuester, as reported by a number of sources including ESPN.

“Decisions like this are difficult to make,” team president Joe Dumars said. “I want to thank John for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last two years, however, at this time we have decided to make a change.”

This was a change that needed to happen. Kuester was 57-105 in two seasons, and this past season the only headlines the Pistons made were as the team’s veteran rebelled against him, with internal squabbling and even missed practices.

Kuester was the assistant coach behind the offensive improvements in the Cavaliers offense during the LeBron James era there (although improved players had a lot to do with that, too). He likely will land somewhere as an assistant (back with Mike Brown, now in Los Angeles?). But as a head coach he clearly lost the team and would have lost his job more quickly had it not been for the sale of the team taking most of the season.

As for who is next, former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson was a Pistons assistant before. Aside that, expect the usual suspects, but it depends on what direction Gores wants to take the franchise in terms of style of play.