<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Detroit Pistons have named Garfield Heard an assistant coach for the 2004-05 season, the team announced today. Heard, a former Pistons assistant under Alvin Gentry, fills a hole on a staff that has lost three assistant coaches in the past week. Lead assistant Mike Woodson accepted the Atlanta Hawks' head coaching job, taking fellow assistant Herb Brown with him. Second assistant John Kuester accepted a position on Lawrence Frank's staff in New Jersey last week. Heard may possibly be Pistons head coach Larry Brown's top assistant next year if the team is unsuccessful in luring Randy Ayers to the staff. Ayers, fired as Sixers coach halfway into his first year as Brown's successor, has been out of basketball since then. Heard has been out of basketball since being fired by the Hawks as an assistant coach two years ago. He has also served as a Dallas Mavericks assistant and interim head coach, a Pacers and Sixers assistant coach (under Larry Brown) and a Washington Wizards head coach.</div> <div align="center">Link</div>
