Issel resigns as coach, president of Nuggets

DENVER -- Dan Issel accepted a buyout and resigned as head coach and president of the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, two weeks after he was suspended for making an insensitive ethnic remark to a spectator.

The announcement came after Issel and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe finalized the details of Issel's departure in private meetings.

"I think that he really believed that after a lot of soul searching, that perhaps coaching wasn't for him," Vandeweghe said at a news conference.

"Dan kind of came to terms with some things in his own life. And really, you know, as long as I've known Dan, he's always done, really, what's best for the organization," he said.

Terms of the settlement were not released.

"I think the bottom line was, he wasn't happy, he wasn't happy coaching. That's the real reason," said center Raef LaFrentz, who has sometimes clashed with Issel.

Assistant coach Mike Evans, who has been serving as interim coach, will remain in charge of the team.

Issel had been on a leave of absence since Saturday, hours before he was to return to coaching after a four-game suspension.

Issel made the remarks Dec. 11 as he walked off the court after a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The coach responded to a taunt from the fan by yelling back, "Go drink another beer, you Mexican ... ," adding an expletive at the end of the sentence.

The next day, the team suspended Issel for four games without pay, costing him more than $112,000.

Issel apologized to the Hispanic community in public and private, and to the city of Denver and its residents.

Issel was to earn $2.5 million this year on a contract that would have expired after next season.

This is the second time Issel has resigned as the Nuggets' coach. In 1995, he resigned 34 games into his third season as coach. Issel also played for the Nuggets for 10 seasons and was their general manager.

Vandeweghe said he didn't believe Issel's suspension was the sole reason for his resignation.

"Head coaching in this league is as lot of pressure," Vandeweghe said. "I think Dec. 11 might have just been the result of some of the pressures."