Steve Clifford has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. Clifford spent five seasons with the Hornets leading them to the playoffs twice. But he was only over .500 twice in his tenure with the team and recorded back-to-back 36-46 finishes in the last two seasons. He registered a 196-214 record in his time with the Hornets.
The team announced the news on Friday morning.
NEWS: The @hornets have relieved Head Coach Steve Clifford of his head coaching duties.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) April 13, 2018
When the Hornets brought in new team president and general manager Mitch Kupchak, many assumed it would spell the end for Clifford. Usually, a new front office regime results in the head coach losing his job and it was no different here. Kupchak is now free to do his own search for a new head coach.
Clifford’s final season in Charlotte was shrouded in concern for his health after he decided to step away from the team for a few weeks. It appears he has rectified that issue and could be a candidate for a couple of the head coaching vacancies across the NBA this offseason.
Clifford was a career NBA assistant before he got his head coaching shot with the Hornets spending 13 years as a scout and assistant coach with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.
