Monty Williams, who guided New Orleans to a pair of playoff appearances in five seasons as coach, was fired by the Pelicans on Tuesday. The Pelicans were 45-37 this past NBA season and qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference on the final day of the season before being swept by top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the opening round. "Making a decision like this is never easy and is never done hastily, especially when you are dealing with a person of Monty Williams' character," said Pelicans vice president Mickey Loomis.