Bill Bayno is bold and smart enough to do something too many of us are not: Walk away from something we love when the stress of it becomes overwhelming.
Banyo has resigned as the Pacers’ assistant coach for personal and health reasons.
“I appreciate the impact Coach Bayno has had on our players and the Pacers organization over the last five years,” Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren said in a statement. “All of us at the Pacers wish him the very best as he transitions to his next chapter.”
Bayno had been on an approved leave of absence for a couple of weeks. He suffered some losses close to him in the past year, and that, combined with the stress of the pandemic and the “usual” stress of being an NBA coach, became unhealthy for him. So Banyo has decided to walk away for now.
The #Pacers are expected to replace Bill Bayno's asst coach position, I'm told, as he steps away for personal reasons. It goes beyond the deaths of his parents which is bad enough. I can't/won't go into the other stuff but the madness/social unrest of 2020 weighed on him too
— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) February 8, 2021
The NBA and its players have spoken a lot about the need to prioritize mental health in recent years; this is concrete action — someone recognizing what was going on and moving on before things got worse for him. It’s actions, not just words, and the Pacers are doing the right thing backing him.
Banyo reportedly would not close the door on a return to coaching.
Our thoughts are with Banyo, and we wish him the best.