Memphis, Tenn. ? Sidney Lowe resigned as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday and was replaced by former NBA coach of the year Hubie Brown.

The 69-year-old Brown takes over the NBA’s only winless team.

Lowe’s resignation came the day after the Grizzlies lost their eighth game, playing at home against Golden State.

“I wish the team well,” Lowe said in a statement. “The Grizzlies have some good, young talent here, and they are going to be good in the future.”

Lowe was in his third season with the Grizzlies, who have never had a winning since the team began playing in 1995. The team moved to Memphis last year from Vancouver.

The Grizzlies had their best records under Lowe, 23-59 in the two previous seasons. Lowe was formerly an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers and head coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

During the off-season, Memphis hired Jerry West, one of the most respected executives in the NBA, as president of basketball operations.

West called Brown “one of the premier basketball minds in the business.”

“I feel fortunate that we are able to find such an individual in such a short period of time and that he agreed to step in and accept this job,” West said.

Brown was coach of the Kentucky Colonels from 1974-76, and won the ABA title in 1975. He coached Atlanta from 1976-81, and was the NBA’s coach of the year in 1978, and directed the New York Knicks from 1982-87.

West’s move to Memphis had Grizzlies fans fired up, and his additions, including first-round draft choice Drew Gooden from Kansas University, and Wesley Person, a shooting guard from Cleveland, increased the optimism.

But the Grizzlies were criticized for uninspired play early into the season, particularly on defense.

Lowe was still experimenting with different lineups when he left the team.