SuperSonics’ Weiss Fired After 13-17 Start

Bob Weiss was fired as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday with Seattle struggling at 13-17, and having lost five of its last seven.

Assistant Bob Hill will take over tonight at Chicago in the second game of a five-game trip.

“We’ve epitomized the word ‘inconsistent’ for professional basketball,” General Manager Rick Sund said. “We talked a lot in the last two weeks trying to [figure out] ‘How can we get more consistent?’ ... We talked, and we both kind of felt that a change might be in the best interest of the club.”

Weiss was promoted from assistant to head coach July 18 after Nate McMillan left for Portland, and was a popular choice of All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. He was also a cheaper option, as Seattle passed on such higher-priced candidates as Flip Saunders and Paul Silas.

Seattle has not been above .500 this season after winning 52 games last season while capturing the Northwest Division. The SuperSonics are four games below .500 for the first time since finishing the 2004 season 37-45.

Weiss, 63, previously coached Atlanta, San Antonio and the Clippers and has an overall record of 223-299. He was a Seattle assistant from 1994-2005 and will remain with the team in an advisory role.

Hill compiled a 124-58 record with the Spurs from 1994-96 and has a 257-212 overall record.

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