Wizards dismiss coach Randy Wittman

The Washington Wizards officially relieved Randy Wittman of his duties Thursday following five seasons as head coach.

After back-to-back second-round appearances, the Wizards struggled to live up to expectations in 2015-16, finishing 10th in the East with a 41-41 record. Washington was especially poor at home, losing 19 times at the Verizon Center.

"There were high internal and external expectations for this team coming into this season based on the momentum we had generated over the previous two years," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said Thursday. "Unfortunately, the inconsistency of the team's performance and effort, particularly on our home court, did not allow us to meet those expectations and we decided a coaching change was needed."

After three seasons as an assistant coach, Wittman was promoted in 2011-12. He compiled a 178-199 record during his five years as the Wizards' bench boss.

"Randy should be commended for the job he did in taking over as head coach during a very difficult time for our franchise and for helping to establish a culture and identity that led to success," Grunfeld added. "This was a very tough decision on a personal level, and we wish Randy and his family the best moving forward."

Scott Brooks and Jeff Hornacek are reportedly candidates to succeed Wittman as head coach, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.