MIAMI -- The Rick Pitino era in Boston will officially end Monday with the
embattled Celtics coach announcing his resignation.
Celtics assistant Jim O'Brien will take over the team as interim coach.
Pitino has reached an agreement with the Celtics on a severance package.
A Celtics source told ESPN.com that Pitino and Celtics owner Paul Gaston agreed
to split the difference in his remaining salary and estimated that Pitino would
receive a little more than $1.5 million.
The NBA's yearly pay period begins June 30. Pitino earns $7 million a
year.
The deal was struck Sunday morning by Gaston and Pitino, who is at his
south Florida home. The Celtics are scheduled to practice Sunday afternoon in
Boston with O'Brien at the helm.
Who will coach the Celtics beyond this season is uncertain. The source
said Gaston did not want to go with another big-name head coach again, but could
bring in a high-profile official as team president. Gaston apparently isn't
thrilled with hiring another college coach.
Pitino, frustrated by his team's lackluster play, decided to leave the
Celtics after they lost their fifth straight game, 112-86, to the Miami Heat on
Saturday night.
Pitino did not accompany the Celtics back to Boston on Saturday night,
instead remaining in Miami with his wife to do some "soul searching."
"No, I have not resigned, but I am going to take a day off (Sunday),"
Pitino had told media in Miami after the game. "It has been a while since I
remember having a day off. My wife is coming down and we are going to spend the
day together and I'm going to do a little thinking.
"It's safe to say that I will have a decision after the day off."
Pitino is the second coach to take a leave of absence from his team this
season. Philadelphia coach Larry Brown left the team last month for two days
before returning.
Pitino has said since late last season, his third consecutive losing
season, that 2000-01 would be his last in Boston if he doesn't see improvement.
The Celtics have lost 11 of their last 14 and have allowed 100 or more
points in nine of those games, with eight of them defeats. Pitino is 102-146 in
3½ seasons in Boston.
"What I'm looking for is defensive improvement, but you can see by the
way they scored tonight that it's not there," Pitino said. "The effort is there,
but the defensive improvement isn't."
Earlier this week, Pitino revealed that he put his Boston townhouse up
for sale, although he said his decision to sell had nothing to do with the
Celtics. He said his family didn't need as big a house with his son, Richard,
leaving for college next year.
ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and information from The Associated
Press was used in this story.