DETROIT — Stan Van Gundy has agreed to a $35-million, five-year contract to be the Detroit Pistons’ coach and president of basketball operations, a person with knowledge of the details said.
Detroit gave Van Gundy the powerful combination of jobs on Tuesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
The deal was first reported by ESPN.com.
The Pistons announced in April that they were not renewing Joe Dumars’ contract, ending his 14-year run as president of basketball operations.
Van Gundy is taking over a team that has Andre Drummond, one NBA’s top young centers, and money to reshape its roster this summer.
Van Gundy has a 371-208 career record with the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He was fired in 2012 following his fifth season with the Magic. He stunned the Heat in December 2005 by resigning for family reasons after two-plus seasons.
Van Gundy has won 59 games three times, once in Miami and twice with the Magic. He has helped his teams advance in five out of seven postseasons, leading Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals. Miami lost to the Pistons in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Detroit’s season has not lasted longer than the regular season in five years, its longest playoff drought since 1978-83. The Pistons won their third NBA title in 2004, early in a six-year run of reaching at least the conference finals.
The franchise is hoping it has a lottery pick next month. The Pistons will have to give their first-round pick to the Charlotte Bobcats if the selection is No. 9 or later as part a salary cap-saving trade Dumars made to get Ben Gordon off the payroll two years ago.
UPDATE (12:43 p.m.): The signing was made official Tuesday afternoon.
“It is an honor to be chosen to help (team owner) Tom Gores build the Pistons into a team that competes for championships,” Van Gundy said in a statement. “Tom’s vision of building for the future while seeking immediate improvement is a challenge that I embrace. We will work to put a team on the floor that reflects the franchise’s rich tradition and embodies the toughness and work ethic of fans in the Detroit area.”