Former assistant Nick Nurse takes over as Toronto Raptors head coach

SPORTS

Former assistant Nick Nurse takes over as Toronto Raptors head coach

The Canadian Press Published Thursday, June 14, 2018 2:46PM EDT

In this Feb. 29, 2016, file photo, Toronto Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse is seen during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Text:

TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors officially unveiled Nick Nurse on Thursday as their new head coach.

The former Raptors' assistant takes over from Dwane Casey, who was fired after Toronto was swept by Cleveland in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Toronto won a club-record 59 games last year and finished atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Nurse, 50, becomes the ninth head coach in franchise history and spent the last five seasons as an assistant with the club.

Before arriving in Toronto, Nurse spent six seasons in the NBA G League as head coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011-13) and the Iowa Energy (2007-11).

He posted a 183-117 (.610) regular-season record, which ranks second all-time in NBA G League history for most wins.

Nurse also has the most playoff victories in the league's history with a 15-6 (.714) record and was the only coach to lead two different teams to an NBA G League title.