The Charlotte Hornets have found a head coach after the Kenny Atkinson debacle. Their new coach will be…Steve Clifford, who is one of their old coaches.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Clifford is returning to Charlotte four years after his first stint as the team's head coach. After some rumblings about the move being in play, it is now coming to fruition.
ESPN Sources: Steve Clifford has agreed to a deal to return as the Charlotte Hornets’ coach. Clifford, one of league’s most respected coaches among his peers, led Hornets to two playoff trips in a five-year run that ended in 2018.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2022
Clifford coached Charlotte in its last season as the Bobcats and then the following four seasons as the Hornets. His teams went 196-214 over his five seasons there and led the team to its last two playoff berths in 2014 and 2016. He coached the Orlando Magic for three seasons immediately after being fired from the Hornets in 2018.
The Hornets are looking to get back into the playoffs after firing head coach James Borrego. Longtime coach Mike D'Antoni was one of the finalists in Charlotte's original coach search, along with Atkinson. The success of his teams on offense made sense for a team led by LaMelo Ball that featured tons of scorers.
Instead, the Hornets went with Clifford. His coaching style emphasizes defense, as evidenced by the two playoff teams he fielded with the Magic. Both squads were very strong on the defensive end of the ball. The Hornets, who just drafted defensive extraordinaire Mark Williams, are looking to become better on that side of the floor.
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