CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Cleveland Cavaliers have returned to the head coaching search.

The team announced Thursday morning that it was dismissing J.B. Bickerstaff as head coach. Bickerstaff joined the team ahead of the 2019-2020 season and led the team to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024.

“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being,” said Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavors.”

Bickerstaff, who signed a new five-year contract in 2021, posted a 170-159 regular season record, though finished with a 6-11 postseason record.

Altman is set to hold a press conference on Friday.