--While former coach Tony DiLeo and team president Ed Stefanski claimed DiLeo took himself out of the running to remain on the job because of family concerns, DiLeo didn't act that way during his final news conference. His opening statement lasted nearly seven minutes, which was probably more than the total of his 59 opening statements after games in which he coached. In the lengthy diatribe, he lamented all of the negativity in the wake of the 25-point Game 6 home loss to the Magic, defended his coaching style and responded to journeyman C Theo Ratliff's claim after the clinching defeat that DiLeo wasn't tough enough on the players.
"We did hold players accountable," DiLeo said. "We talked to them and corrected their mistakes. A lot of times when you're dealing with younger players, you have to live through some of the mistakes. I'm not the type of coach that would take a player out because he makes one mistake. If he makes repeated mistakes or is hurting the team, then that's a situation where we take the players out and correct the situation." --Tony DiLeo, who has spent 20 years with the organization, returned to his former job of assistant GM/senior VP of basketball operations. He went 32-27 in the regular season after succeeding Mo Cheeks as coach of the Sixers on Dec. 13.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I really only have one regret doing this job. And that was the last game of the season -- how (the 25-point Game 6 loss to Orlando) overshadowed and clouded what we accomplished during the season. I thought we did some good things, some amazing things, during the season. I don't think it's fair that one game should overshadow what the identity of the team as blue-collar, fighting, never giving up, (the way it) was the whole year." -- Former coach Tony DiLeo.
