Auburn Hills, MI -- (Sports Network) - Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars did an about face Tuesday and fired head coach Michael Curry.

"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

Dumars had held a press conference in late April to confirm that Curry would return to the Motor City in 2009-10, despite a disappointing first season as the team's mentor.

In his first year directing the perennial championship contenders, Curry led the Pistons to a 39-43 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit was quickly swept in the first round of the playoffs by the top-seeded Cavaliers, who won each game by double digits. The swift exit halted the Pistons' streak of six straight trips to the East finals.

Many of the team's problems could be traced back to the trade that sent franchise point guard Chauncey Billups and two other players to Denver early last season for Allen Iverson. Iverson, a former MVP, never fit in with Detroit's vaunted balance, defensive prowess and chemistry.

Curry, the former president of the NBA Players Association, took over for Flip Saunders, who was fired after the 2007-08 season despite making three consecutive conference Eastern Conference finals appearances.

In addition, Curry also served one season in Detroit as an assistant coach under Saunders (2007-08) and had two separate stints with the organization as a player (1995-97 and 1999-2003).