Since going professional in 1988, the Charlotte Hornets franchise has an overall record of 1,050-1,345. The organization, which was called the Charlotte Bobcats at one point, has 10 playoff appearances but zero trips to the NBA Finals.
The Hornets have had 11 different head coaches in franchise history. Only two were able to finish their Hornets coaching career with a record of above .500.
For this piece, we'll be ranking the four best Hornets coaches in franchise history, starting off with a guy who has the best winning percentage in organizational history.
4. Dave Cowens
Cowens coached the Hornets for three years and racked up a regular-season record of 109-70. His winning percentage of .609 is by far the best in franchise history.
The Hornets made the playoffs twice under Cowens. They went 4-8.
Cowens was the 1996-97 Coach of the Month in April. The Hornets won 54 games that regular season but got swept by the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
3. Steve Clifford
Clifford, who is currently the head coach of the Orlando Magic, won 196 games with Charlotte. He's got the second-most wins in franchise history.
The Hornets made the postseason only twice under Clifford, losing in the first round both times.
Clifford won two Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Awards during his tenure with the Hornets. He finished with a record of 196-214.
2. Allan Bristow
Bristow has the most wins in franchise history. He won 207 regular-season games in five years.
The Hornets made the postseason two times with Bristow. He won five playoff games in his coaching career with Charlotte, putting him in second place for postseason wins.
Bristow (.505) and Cowens (.609) are the only two Hornets coaches to have a positive winning percentage.
1. Paul Silas
Silas didn't have the best record with the Hornets but he was able to guide the team to the playoffs three out of six years.
Silas won 11 playoff games with the Hornets, giving him the most postseason wins. He also finished with 193 regular-season wins. Paul has won the third-most games in franchise history.
It’s going to be a while before Charlotte goes on a deep playoff run again. They are in the middle of a rebuild project right now in the post-Kemba Walker era.
Before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19, the Hornets had a record of 23-42. They were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings and likely headed for another season with no playoff basketball.
The current coach of the Hornets is James Borrego. In the post-Walker era, Borrego will be working with Devonte' Graham, Miles Bridges and PJ Washington. Charlotte got Terry Rozier from the Boston Celtics in the Walker sign-and-trade deal but there has already been talk that the Hornets could move his contract in a trade.
The ’97-98 Hornets finished the regular season with a record of 51-31. That's probably the best team in franchise history. If Borrego and his group of players want to make their mark on the organization, getting to the playoffs without an All-Star on the roster would send a clear message to the fans and the rest of the league.
Only time will tell, though, if Charlotte can accomplish that goal. The franchise struggled to win games when Walker was in town and he's one of the best players in the NBA, so odds are the post-Walker era will initially see some tough times in Charlotte.
Follow Us
Subscribe