Or, "DiLeo Replaced as Head Coach."

The difference is semantic, however. The news of the day was that the Sixers had a head coach when Tony DiLeo walked into his meeting yesterday with Stefanski, and when he walked out they did not.

Shortly after DiLeo replaced Maurice Cheeks, the Sixers' organization made it clear that DiLeo should not be referred to as an "interim" coach. He was the coach and that was that.

Which is fine, but you can't have it both ways. When a coach leaves the position, he either quits or is fired. He doesn't withdraw his name from consideration to return.

Which was it? Stefanski wasn't saying.

His story, and he stuck with it doggedly, was that DiLeo wanted to have time to watch his two sons play Basketball, and the commitment required of an NBA head coach would preclude that.

It's a good story, because you can't knock a guy for wanting to spend more time with his kids. You can hardly knock a guy for extracting himself from the mess that comes with coaching the 76ers , either.

So, if the story is true, then DiLeo quit the job, preferring to return to his previous position as senior vice president and assistant general manager. He also would become the first person in history to tell his boss, "You know, I really don't want to work that hard," and be publicly congratulated for it.

Well, whatever. From here, it's a nice, neat story that doesn't say very much. It seems more likely that Stefanski wants to go out and get a new coach and also wants to allow DiLeo a graceful exit. Nothing wrong there, either.

"He was a great soldier," Stefanski said. "We asked Tony to do something that was a unique situation. He did it."

There wasn't much that was attractive about the job DiLeo inherited from Cheeks, and there still isn't much attractive about the one he leaves behind.

The ruins are still smoldering from the Game 6 embarrassment against the Magic in the Wachovia Center. That playoff dismissal was quickly followed by a mini-palace revolt among the players. Andre Iguodala said DiLeo's return was something that had to be discussed. Theo Ratliff said there was a lack of discipline coming from the coaching staff. Andre Miller and Ratliff blew off the team's exit meetings.

Coaches usually do not recover from a battering of that sort, and this one was no exception. You can come to your own conclusion about whether DiLeo jumped or was pushed. It doesn't really matter any longer.

What matters is that the 76ers need a head coach again, a position the franchise knows quite well. There have been 10 head coaches in the last 17 seasons. Take out the relative stability of the Larry Brown's six years - words that have rarely been said together - and there have been nine coaches in the other 11 years.

None of that is Stefanski's fault, but it is his job to find a coach who can become a fixture again.

"I'm looking for the total package," Stefanski said.

The attributes the new coach will have, according to Stefanski, include being a great communicator, a leader who demands accountability from the players, a coach who can help players develop their skills, and someone good with the X's and O's of the game.

"We'll get a list together and call in the ones I'm comfortable with to interview," Stefanski said.

He wouldn't name names, or confirm names, which is no surprise. He thought it likely the new coach would be in place before the June 25 NBA draft and the July 1 date when the team will be able to negotiate with unrestricted free agent Miller.

Stefanski also said he wasn't interested in having Ratliff return to offer further evaluations of the coaching staff. Now, that story, I believe.

The general manager wants to find a coach who can blend the running style suited to the younger players with the half-court abilities of Elton Brand. He wants to hire someone who will walk the narrow NBA tightrope of bringing discipline to the locker room without having the team quit on you.

Stefanski has a tough job ahead of him.

DiLeo has put a tough job behind him.

It seems that coaching the 76ers is always difficult. If it weren't, there would have been a lot fewer coaches.

One of Ed Stefanski's missions is to make that coaching job much easier with the team he assembles.

So far, he's still working on that part.

Bob Ford: Many coaches, few winners Tony DiLeo may not coach the 76ers next season, but he did manage a winning record in his brief tenure. Only three of the last 10 Sixers coaches had winning records in Philadelphia, and only two coached for more than two seasons. Here's a look at the turnover:

Tony DiLeo 2008-09, 32-27 (.542)

Maurice Cheeks 2005-08, 122-147 (.454)

Jim O'Brien 2004-05, 43-39 (.524)

Chris Ford 2004, 12-18 (.400)

Randy Ayers 2003-04, 21-31 (.339)

Larry Brown 1997-2003, 255-205 (.554)

Johnny Davis 1996-97, 22-60 (.268)

John Lucas 1994-96, 42-122 (.256)

Fred Carter 1993-94, 32-76 (.296)

Doug Moe 1992-93, 19-37 (.339)

Contact columnist Bob Ford

at 215-854-5842 or bford@phillynews.com.

Read his blog at http://philly.com/postpatterns.