Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Washington Wizards fired coach Eddie Jordan after a 1-10 start to the season and gave Director of Player Development Ed Tapscott the job on an interim basis.

Jordan and the Wizards have struggled without injured starters Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood. The team has the second-worst record in the National Basketball Association behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who fired coach P.J. Carlesimo two days ago.

The Wizards have made the playoffs each of the past four seasons under Jordan, who had been the third-longest tenured coach in the NBA behind Utah’s Jerry Sloan and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich.

Jordan took over the Wizards in 2003-04 and compiled a 197- 224 record in five-plus seasons. Washington picked up an option on Jordan for the 2009-10 season two months ago.

Tapscott was hired by Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld in August after serving as the Charlotte Bobcats’ president from 2003-06. He was an analyst for Wizards games on their local broadcast network last season.

Tapscott was assistant general manager for the New York Knicks under Grunfeld, and was named interim general manager after Grunfeld was fired in 1999. He was responsible for selecting 7-foot-2 Frederic Weis with the Knicks’ first-round pick in 1999. Weis never played an NBA game.

To contact the reporter on this story: Larry DiTore in New York at lditore@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 24, 2008 11:26 EST