Coach fired after disappointing start, but will keep post with national team

BEIJING - Bob Donewald's ambition to bring the Xinjiang Flying Tigers a long-awaited Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) title ended abruptly on Tuesday when league officials confirmed the coach's split with the club.

After a full day of sources unwilling to confirm the rumors of Donewald's departure, Bai Xilin, director of the CBA's competition department finally acknowledged it.

"The Flying Tigers filed the necessary documents applying for a coaching change on Monday and we have approved its request and done all the processing today. Coach Donewald has been replaced by the team's former mentor, Jiang Xingquan," Bai told China Daily.

"Why at this moment? The club hasn't told us the reasons it's their decision and we just respect it and approve it," Bai said.

After the team's heavy investment in imports over the summer - about $12.6 million - the Flying Tigers have failed to live up to their promise as one of the favorites to win the league title.

Narroly avoiding what would have been its second consecutive loss on Sunday with a narrow victory over the Jilin Northeast Tigers, Xinjiang finished its first 11 games with four losses, three more than all of last season.

Several of the team's seven victories were unimpressive, and it did not look like the side that was runner-up in the league the past three years.

Despite making no direct response to his dismissal, Donewald said he was dissatisfied with the criticism of Xinjiang.

"Points (lost) per game and points per possession, Xinjiang is the No 1 defensive team in China," Donewald said on his micro-blog after being informed of his firing by the club on Monday.

Guo Jian, the Flying Tigers' manager, said Donewald's first-year salary of $700,000 would be paid despite the contract being terminated prematurely.

"We will still fulfill (the salary) and he is still a member of the coaching crew," Guo told web portal Sina.com on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Guo denied the team was looking to also get rid of NBA star Kenyon Martin, who signed a record one-year $2.7 million deal, but has been criticized by fans for a middling stats line of 14 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

"About Kenyon, we haven't considered releasing him at all. Currently, we don't have any choice better than him," Guo said.

Despite losing his job with Xinjiang, Donewald's post with the national team seems safe after he led it to the Asian Championship title and a London Olympics berth in September.

"The season is ongoing and it is not the time to consider anything about the national roster. This is the club's affair and has nothing to do with his national job," Bai said.

Hired by Yao Ming's Shanghai Sharks as coach in July 2009, Donewald was enticed by Xinjiang's championship hopes and joined the squad in July. The 41-year-old won the national post in April of 2010 after lifting the Sharks in the rankings the previous season.

China Daily