(DANIEL EADE is a freelance journalist and regular BPL contributor on basketball.)

The Melbourne Tigers today sacked coach Al Westover.

Officially, Westover has resigned; unofficially he was pushed. His replacement will be Darryl McDonald, promoted from assistant, and he will become only the third head coach in the club's NBL history.

The Tigers have also axed American import Eric Devendorf but Wade Helliwell has survived the chop - for the time being, at least - despite days of speculation about his future. 

Westover was pulled out of training at 1:30pm on Tuesday, about 20 minutes before the session ended, and called before the board.

Following a 20-minute meeting, Westover seemed confident he would remain in the top job.

"Whatever happens, happens," he said.

Indeed, for someone with a noose dangling above his head, the 2006 NBL coach of the year appeared in an upbeat mood.

But in the hours that followed, the board members, led by chief executive and majority owner Seamus McPeake, decided to show him the door.

Westover was unable to convince them he deserved to remain as head coach, despite a career winning percentage of 64 and leading the club to the championship in 2006 and 2008.

"The board of directors met last night and I was told that my services were no longer required," a disappointed Westover said this morning.

"I'm obviously very disappointed, I've been in professional basketball a very long time. Right know I don't know what the future holds for me," he said.

"I don't know who will employ a 56-year-old out of work basketball coach."

Westover told The Australian he plans to take a few days off off to consider his next career move.

He leaves the Tigers after five and a half seasons in charge, having taken over from Lindsay Gaze in 2005/06. He spent more than a decade as an assistant coach to Gaze prior to his promotion.

Westover led the club to two championships in his first three seasons at the helm, and coached the Tigers to four consecutive grand finals before injuries and a forced make-over last season ended the team's successful run.

The Tigers were revamped this season, with seven new faces joining the roster, but a 6-12 record has hastened Westover's departure.

New coach McDonald, who first played in the NBL in 1994, joined the Tigers as a player in 2003, and retired in 2008. He won championships with North Melbourne in 1994, and with the Tigers in 2006 and 2008.