Denver Nuggets Fire coach Brian Shaw

The Denver Nuggets have reportedly fired head coach Brian Shaw, several media outlets reported.

The Nuggets (20-39) currently have one of the worst records in the league. One of Shaw's assistant coaches Melvin Hunt will be the interim coach for the Nuggets presumably till the end of the season. Hunt is currently in his fifth season with the Nuggets. He spent five years as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

General manger Tim Connelly has released this statement:

"On behalf of everyone in the Denver Nuggets organization, I would personally like to thank Brian for his services the past two seasons in Denver. He is a champion and a gentleman and I wish him nothing but the best for himself and his family moving forward. Since we purchased the franchise in 2000 we have constantly strived to field a competitive team, culminating in 10 straight playoff appearances and a franchise record 57 wins in the 2012-13 regular season. Expectations have been raised and we want more.

This season our management staff has remained patient and supportive as decisions of this nature are never taken lightly. Patience is encouraged, as long as the organization continues to show progress toward a greater goal. However, competing for championships is our goal, and therefore we decided to make this decision now and look forward to conducting an extensive head coaching search upon the season's conclusion. This has been a trying season for all of us, and we appreciate Nuggets fans continued faith and patience as we build our proud organization back to the NBA's elite."

The Nuggets shocked everyone when they brought Shaw in to replace George Karl, who went 57-25. In Shaw's first season as head coach last year, he led the team to a 36-46 record. Throughout this season, Shaw has voiced his frustrations with the players.

According to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, Shaw did not like his players' level of maturity. Sources revealed, however, that Shaw was encouraged to work through these issues.

Although the Nuggets have not discussed their plans on who will replace Shaw, rumors are quickly surfacing about the potential candidates that the Nuggets could be interested in.

Mike D'Antoni, who has coached the Suns, the Knicks and the Lakers, is one option D'Antoni started his head-coaching career with the Nuggets. Another option is ESPN analyst Avery Johnson, who has played for the Nuggets before. A third option is Golden State Warriors associate head coach, Alvin Gentry. The fourth option could be former Warriors coach Mark Jackson. The final option could be Vinny Del Negro, who interviewed for the head coaching position before it went to Shaw.