PJ Carlesimo fired after Nets lose Game 7 of NBA semifinals to Chicago Bulls

Brooklyn Nets interim head coach PJ Carlesimo is out as head coach. Not saying it's much of a surprise to many, but that was quick.

Deron Williams, the Nets point guard, may have hinted Carlesimo's departure when he faced questions from the media after Saturday's Game 7 loss to the Chicago Bulls, 99-93.

The guard praised Carlesimo for his efforts but noted that his destiny as a coach was not up to him.

"I think he did a great job with everything that has gone on. There was a lot of turmoil when he inherited us. I think he did a good job getting us to that fourth seed. I'd love to see PJ back, but as you know that's not up to me," Williams said.

"I had fun playing with these groups of guys and coaches. I think this experience will make us tougher as a group...We still have a ways to go."

Whether or not it was in the hands of Williams or not, Carlesimo deserves some credit for the progression of the Nets.

The 63-year-old became the interim head coach on December 27 after the Nets fired former head coach Avery Johnson after a 14-14 start of this season.

The Nets finished their regular season second in the Atlantic Division and were the No. 4 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets won 12 of their first 14 games under Carlesimo and went 10-3 down the stretch to earn home-court advantage in the first round.

In the team's first season in Brooklyn, Carlesimo helped the Nets finish with a 35-19 regular season record.

The Nets have not made it passed the first round since the 2006-2007 when they lost in the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But now, the Nets have a bigger task at hand--finding a new coach. Billy King, the Nets' general manager is reportedly seeking big names like Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.

Carlesimo appeared on ESPN's The Herd With Colin Cowherd the day after he got fired and said he just wasn't the guy the Nets organization wanted.

"We really believed that we'd be successful in the playoffs," Carlesimo said. "We made enormous progress."