In the “what have you done for me lately” environment that has become the norm in professional sports, few around the country were probably surprised to hear Avery Johnson had been fired on Wednesday.

The former head coach of the Dallas Mavericks had been on the proverbial hot seat pretty much all season after his squad became the first No. 1 seed to lose a first-round, seven-game series in last year’s playoffs.

After the Mavericks weakly whimpered out of the 2008 playoffs – again in the first round – it was simply time for Johnson to go.

Don’t get me wrong. Johnson was a good – maybe even great – coach. He twice led his team to 60 or more wins, including a league-high 67 in the 2006-07 season. He was the fastest coach in league history to reach 50, 100 and 150 wins and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2006.

But since his Mavericks lost four straight games to lose the 2006 NBA Finals, they have gone 3-16 in playoff games, including 0-9 on the road.

The problem with Johnson wasn’t that he couldn’t coach. It is that, with the current roster and staff, Dallas had reached its ceiling.

It is a situation Cyclone fans should be familiar with.

You would be hard-pressed to find a Cyclone fan who doesn’t respect what Dan McCarney did for ISU football. Mac took Iowa State to five of its nine ever bowl games, including its only two wins.

He had some great, if underachieving, teams during his 12 years at the helm.

But you could tell – no matter how many mediocre bowl games he won and diamonds in the rough he recruited – he had taken the program as far as he could.

Cyclone fans coming to that realization was a key reason why McCarney’s departure was so cordial. Everyone appreciated what he had done for Iowa State, but both the fans and McCarney himself seemed to realize the team had gone as far as it could under him.

The same could be said for other recently departed coaches like Wayne Morgan. Maybe the Captain’s departure wasn’t as warm and fuzzy as McCarney’s, but it was necessary. The Cyclones were stuck in the doldrums – not sinking, but not exactly racing to the front either.

It is a necessary evil of sports, these types of firings. Thanks for your help, we’ll remember you fondly – but kindly pack your bags and move along, ’cause we will.

For an athletic department like Iowa State’s – where Jaime Pollard has made it abundantly clear that he will no longer stand for mediocrity – sometimes canning a coach and moving on is best for all parties.

Johnson will land on his feet. At 43, he is too good of a coach not to. He just needs another team – a fresh start.

Look at McCarney. After a one-year stint with up-and-coming South Florida, he is now the defensive line coach and assistant head coach at Florida – one of college football’s powerhouses. It is only a matter of time before a head coaching job opens up and an offer comes McCarney’s way.

There will always be more jobs in sports. When a team fails repeatedly, even if it’s in the playoffs, a change needs to be made.

So when the next seemingly successful coach gets the hook, whether it is Phoenix’s Mike D’Antoni or Denver’s George Karl, realize they didn’t get a raw deal. Their leg of the race was just up.

– Nick Paulson is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Minnetonka, Minn.