Larry Brown, who registered his 100th career playoff coaching victory last month, has been fired after guiding the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back National Basketball Association finals appearances. (AFP)

Larry Brown, who registered his 100th career playoff coaching victory last month, has been fired after guiding the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back National Basketball Association finals appearances.

"We appreciate the two tremendous seasons the team enjoyed with Larry as coach," team president Joe Dumars said. "We wish him the best and good health going forward."

The leading candidate to replace Brown is Flip Saunders, who was fired by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2004-05 season.

Before the announcement, there was rampant speculation as to whether Detroit would fire Brown, who dealt with a host of health problems this season, or negotiate a settlement on the remaining three years of a five-year deal.

The Pistons chose the latter, although no details of the resolution were released.

Brown's agent Joe Glass said Tuesday that his client was being fired by the Pistons.

"Larry's not quitting," said agent Joe Glass of Brown, who had three years and 18 million US dollars left on a contract he signed two years ago.

"The allegations that this is what Larry wanted to have happen are completely unfounded without any verification whatsoever."

In two years in Detroit, Brown guided the Pistons to the 2004 title and within one quarter of a repeat championship.

Brown underwent hip surgery in November and returned later that month but had to take more time away from the team when he developed serious bladder complications .

After the season, Brown, 64, checked into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

If Brown were fired, it could open the door for him to become coach of the New York Knicks, which he once described as his "dream job."

Throughout his coaching career, Brown has done two things - make teams better and leave unexpectedly.

Two years ago, he left the Philadelphia 76ers to join the Pistons, who had fired coach Rick Carlisle less than a week earlier. In 1983, he was coaching the New Jersey Nets while negotiating to become the coach at Kansas University.

Brown is 987-741 as an NBA coach, guiding all seven teams to the playoffs.

He was the Coach of the Year in 2001 when he guided the 76ers to the NBA Finals and won his first title last year when the Pistons stunned the Lakers in five games.

Brown's coaching career dates to 1972 in the ABA, where he was 229-107.

(Agencies)