A few hours later, he was gone for good.

Krystkowiak might indeed have a heart of gold, as his choice of workout music would suggest. But as new Bucks general manager John Hammond attempts to make a championship contender out of an organization seemingly happy just to sneak into the playoffs every few years, that wasn't enough.

"The bottom line on this decision is that this is a results-driven league," Hammond said. "Sometimes it comes down to wins and losses. Once again, the man that Larry was and the effort he put forth had little to do with the decision."

The Bucks fired Krystkowiak a day after completing his first full season as an NBA head coach. The move didn't come as a surprise. It was widely assumed that Hammond would bring in his own coach after Bucks owner and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl hired him to replace ousted general manager Larry Harris last week.

Kohl then signed off on Hammond's first major decision, and Krystkowiak was out.

Touted as a potential playoff contender going into the season, the Bucks finished a dismal 26-56 and were one of the league's worst defensive teams.

Hammond praised Krystkowiak's hard work and character, and was careful not to go into detail on the characteristics he would be looking for in a new coach because he didn't want it to be interpreted as an indictment of Krystkowiak's shortcomings.

But Hammond, who left his job as one of the Detroit Pistons' top basketball executives to take over in Milwaukee, made it clear that the Bucks have to get tougher.

"The Pistons, what are they known for right now? They're known for winning," Hammond said. "But you know what? It kind of started out as, 'Let's put a tough, competitive team out there."'

Hammond has ties to several veteran coaches, including Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown and Alvin Gentry. Former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles also could be considered for the job.

Hammond began his coaching search "immediately" and expected to move quickly.

"There's no reason not to react quickly," Hammond said. "That doesn't mean there's a timetable, but we're going to react as quickly as possible."