As expected, the Saitama Broncos are making a coaching change after another atrocious season.
Head coach Kazuaki Shimoji won't be back on the sideline for the 2015-16 campaign, the Broncos announced on Thursday afternoon.
Saitama posted a 6-46 record in Shimoji's lone season at the helm.
The 38-year-old Okinawa native was plagued by heart trouble in the winter and hospitalized.
In a statement, Shimoji expressed thanks to the Broncos organization for the opportunity to coach the team.
He had not worked in the bj-league since stepping down from his job as coach of the Toyama Grouses after the 2011-12 season.
The Broncos have had 10 non-winning seasons since the bj-league's inception.
Only one Saitama head coach, former NBA forward David Benoit, has coached more than one season in that span. He was in charge for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Shimoji took over after Takatoshi Ishibashi was fired after the Broncos went 5-47 in the previous season.
Within the past few weeks, the Bambitious Nara, Takamatsu Five Arrows and Niigata Albirex BB have already announced that Ryutaro Onodera, Kenzo Maeda and Fujitaka Hiraoka, respectively, won't be returning as their teams' head coaches next season.
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