Carroll lasts 40 games

[BULLO12]

Associated Press

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Interim coach John Carroll was dismissed by the Boston Celtics on Monday after the team was swept in the first round of the playoffs.

"This is a time that we need to make a change," Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said.

Asked whether Carroll would be with the team next season, Ainge said: "Not unless the new coach would like to have John Carroll on his staff."

Boston was swept in by the Indiana Pacers, losing Game 4 Sunday.

The Celtics went 14-22 under Carroll to finish the regular season 10 games below .500, but they made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The playoff appearance was a mixed blessing for Boston and Ainge, who had said the team would be better off taking its chances in the draft lottery. Ainge did not attend the Celtics' first home playoff game Friday, choosing instead to take a scouting trip to Europe.

Ainge has said he is in no hurry to make a decision about a new coach.

Carroll was the head coach at Duquesne from 1989-95 and a longtime Celtics assistant who took over when Jim O'Brien resigned over differences with Ainge. Although the Celtics made the Eastern Conference finals and semifinals the previous two seasons, Ainge traded star Antoine Walker and O'Brien favorites such as Eric Williams and Tony Battie.

The moves netted injured big man Raef Lafrentz and Ricky Davis, among others, and made it difficult for O'Brien to implement his disciplined, defensive style. O'Brien resigned Jan. 27; the Philadelphia 76ers hired him last week to be their head coach.

[BULLO12]

Source: Westphal would take it

Paul Westphal would accept if the Boston Celtics offered him their head coaching job, a source close to the Pepperdine coach told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

The source said Westphal is expecting to get a call within the next few days, but hadn't received one as of Monday afternoon. The Celtics called him within the last two weeks to check his interest in the position. Celtics president Danny Ainge visited with Westphal last month in California.

Westphal, who has three years remaining on his current contract at Pepperdine, is one of a handful of candidates that is expected to be on the Celtics short list to replace John Carroll.

Pepperdine was 15-15 (9-5 in the WCC) this season under Westphal, who led the Waves to a 22-9 record and share of the WCC regular-season title (13-1) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season in 2001-02. Pepperdine was 15-13 in 2002-03.

"He'll take it if it's offered," the source said. "He loves Boston and he loves Danny Ainge."

Multiple sources said Ainge would like to have a relationship with his head coach like Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders in Minnesota. Westphal's uptempo style fits what Ainge is looking for in a head coach. Ainge played for Westphal in Phoenix.

Westphal coached in the NBA with the Suns (191-88 in three-plus seasons) and Sonics (76-71 in two-plus seasons), including taking the Suns to 6the 1993 NBA Finals.

Westphal played 12 seasons in the NBA, including stints in Boston, Phoenix, New York and Seattle. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and was a member of the 1974 championship Celtics.

[bullwark]

Danny Ainge is going to run the Celtics in the ground, he has made poor trades and run a good coach (O'Brien) out of town.

[smazza]

but ainge and his daddy (red) have a thing going on