Bill Bayno, an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, resigned from his position and cited mental health as the reason, sources told ESPN.
Bayno, 58, started a temporary leave of absence from work two weeks ago and in recent days, did the necessary paperwork for his departure from the team.
Privately, Bayno described the need to step away from the pressures and workload of the NBA amid the pandemic, especially after suffering several personal losses, including that of both his parents.
Bayno’s mother passed away in April 2020 after being diagnosed with cancer and her father died in 2019.
Bayno, who has also suffered the loss of close friends during the pandemic, did not rule out going back to training, sources said.
Serie A, Copa del Rey, UFC, thousands of live events, exclusive original series and much more, all in HD. Subscribe here
Bayno, who has been an assistant to the Pacers since 2016, had worked under former team coach Nate McMillan and remained on staff with the hiring of new coach Nate Bjorkgren.
Bayno developed a strong reputation as a player developer. He had stints as an assistant coach in Portland, Minnesota and Toronto in the NBA and two jobs as a head coach at the collegiate level, including five years at UNLV that included two trips to the NCAA tournament.
Between the 2008-09 season, Bayno spent several months as a coach at Loyola Marymount before taking a work permit and ultimately resigning for what was described as “medical reasons and on the advice of doctors.”
