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HOUSTON – Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that Kevin McHale has been relieved of his duties as head coach.  Rockets assistant coach J.B. (John-Blair) Bickerstaff will serve as interim head coach.  In addition, assistant coach Chris Finch was promoted to associate head coach.

McHale was named the 12th head coach in franchise history on June 1, 2011.  In four-plus seasons with the Rockets, McHale compiled a regular season mark of 323-193 (.598), including a record of 4-7 this season.

Bickerstaff is in his fifth season with the Rockets after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant coach with Minnesota.  Prior to joining the Timberwolves, he spent three seasons as an assistant coach in Charlotte.  When he joined Charlotte as a 25-year-old in 2004-05, Bickerstaff was the youngest assistant coach in the NBA.

Finch is also in his fifth season with the Rockets after spending two seasons as head coach of the Rockets NBA Development League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley.  In his first season with the Vipers in 2009-10, Finch earned the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award while guiding the team to the D-League championship.  He has also served as head coach of the British National Team and had an accomplished coaching career in Europe.

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