Cavaliers Fire Head Coach Mike Brown

The Cleveland Cavaliers have fired head coach Mike Brown, the team announced on Monday morning. The team saved $4.5 million by firing Brown before Sunday at midnight.

"After a long and deep analysis of all of the factors that led to the disappointing early ends to our playoff runs over the past two seasons, we concluded that it was time for the Cavaliers to move in a different direction," Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert said in a statement. "The expectations of this organization are very high and, although change always carries an element of risk, there are times when that risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment. This is one of those times."

Just one year removed from being named the 2009 NBA Coach of the Year, Brown couldn't get his Cavaliers past the Celtics in the second round of the 2010 playoffs. In five seasons with the Cavs, Brown compiled a 272-138 record, which was the highest winning percentage of any coach in Cavaliers history.