Glenn Hills assistant boys basketball coach Travis McRae said the Detroit Pistons made the right move Monday.

The Pistons hired McRae's friend and former teammate, Michael Curry, to be their next head coach.

Curry, a former Detroit player who was an assistant coach with the team last season, will be introduced at a noon news conference today, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press.

Curry agreed to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a year, with the team holding the option for a fourth season. He replaces Flip Saunders, who was fired last week.

"I'm extremely proud of him," McRae said. "It's the best move for the Pistons."

McRae and Curry helped lead Glenn Hills to the state semifinals in 1986. McRae said Curry was the one who kept everybody in line.

"He's always been a great leader," McRae said.

Before going to the bench, Curry was the NBDL's vice president of player development following a playing career that started as an undrafted free agent during the 1993-94 season in Philadelphia and ended during the 2004-05 season with the Indiana Pacers. He played 11 seasons in the NBA with six teams, including five seasons with the Pistons.

"I think he has a lot of good qualifications," new Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter, who was a Pistons assistant with Curry last season, told the AP.

Glenn Hills retired Curry's No. 20 jersey at its 2005 spring athletic banquet. Curry also had his jersey retired at Georgia Southern. On Sept. 3, 2002, former mayor Bob Young declared Michael Curry Day in Augusta.

Curry served as president of the NBA's Players' Association and is co-founder of Augusta Sports in Action, a volunteer group that sponsors basketball camps and provides free tutoring to school-aged athletes.

Curry could not be reached by cell phone Monday evening. A message left at his parents' house was not returned.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.