larry bayrd will take over. reports suggest nukum ruffled some feathers by making changes before getting the green light. but nukum today denies he was forced out. >> i don't think that's the right characterization at all. as you might imagine, sometime after i came back to earth, still not back to earth after last year. i asked myself is there a success plan? how much longer can you, should you, do you want to do this job? and in the course of thinking about that and talking with folks about it including other investors, i came to the conclusion that, this was the right time to turn the reigns over. >> this is business as usual. this to put it simply, this is not a turn around in any sense of stretch of the imagination. as bill said, this franchise really is stronger than ever. the perspective of winning is formost, paramount, always will be. >> reporter: neukum said he thought it was time to step down because he accomplished the goals he set for himself, mainly winning that championship. tonight fans are weigh