Denver Nuggets fire coach Brian Shaw

Brian Shaw
<p>(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)</p>
<p>Former Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw was fired Tuesday. </p>
Photo: Denver Nuggets Brian Shaw (AP Photo)
Former Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw was fired Tuesday.

The Denver Nuggets fired head coach Brian Shaw Tuesday in the midst of a dismal season.

Shaw took over the Nuggets in June of 2013, posting a .397 winning percentage in nearly 150 games. The team is just 20-39 so far this season.

“I want to sincerely thank Brian for his time with our organization,” General manager Tim Connelly said in a statement Tuesday: "You won't find a better guy than Brian and he is one of the brightest basketball minds I've ever been around. Unfortunately things didn't go as we hoped, but we know with his basketball acumen that he has a very bright future ahead of him."

Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla wrote today that "Shaw had the zombie-eyed look of a dead man walking toward certain doom" as the season progressed.

Melvin Hunt, an assistant coach, will serve as interim coach.