Former NBA All-Star Terry Porter is out as Portland's head coach, the school announced Friday.
Assistant coach Ben Johnson will take over on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Porter has been the Pilots' head coach since 2016 and has struggled to turn the program around since taking over for Eric Reveno. Portland hasn't won more than four West Coast Conference games in a season under Porter, and the Pilots have won just one conference game since the end of the 2017-18 season.
"I would like to thank Coach Porter for his service to the University," Portland vice president for athletics, Scott Leykam said in a statement. "The timing of these changes is never ideal, especially with all the disruptions this season that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Ultimately, it was decided that it was best to move forward now and focus on the future of the program and the search for the next head coach."
Porter, who spent 17 seasons in the NBA, was a two-time All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers retired his No. 30. Porter spent three seasons as an NBA head coach, lasting two years with the Milwaukee Bucks and less than one with the Phoenix Suns.
He was also an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.
