He’s back: Steve Clifford to return as Charlotte Hornets head coach

It’s back to the future in a sense for the Charlotte Hornets.

Moving swiftly after Kenny Atkinson spurned them to remain an assistant coach for Golden State last week, the Hornets officially signed Steve Clifford to be the team’s 12th head coach in franchise history on Friday. Clifford signed a three-year deal — which includes a team option — worth $4 million per season in the first two years, according to league sources with direct knowledge.

The Charlotte Observer reported Friday morning that Clifford was a serious candidate after he met with general manager Mitch Kupchak and owner Michael Jordan earlier in the week. Mike D’Antoni, who was a runner-up for the job when the Hornets ultimately decided to go with Atkinson, also had an in-person conversation with Jordan, league sources told The Observer. In the end, they went with Clifford, and he will be introduced at a press conference sometime early next week.

Clifford returns to the place where served as the head coach from 2013-2018, guiding the Hornets to a pair of playoff appearances in his tenure. He finished his stint with a 196-214 record before he got fired in 2018 when the Hornets’ shifted things in their front office and hired Kupchak.

Clifford replaces James Borrego, the person who took over for him after he was let go. Borrego was fired in April after four seasons in part because of the Hornets’ rough losses in the play-in tournament in successive seasons.

“I’m happy to be returning to Charlotte and I want to thank Michael Jordan, Mitch Kupchak and Buzz Peterson for this opportunity,” Clifford said in a statement. “This is an exciting young team with a lot of talented pieces. Charlotte is a great city and I know first-hand the passion that Hornets fans have for this franchise. I can’t wait to get back to town and start working with our players.”

In eight seasons as an NBA head coach, including 2018-2021 with the Orlando Magic, Clifford is 292-345. He spent this past season as a coaching consultant for the Brooklyn Nets. One of his strengths centers around his team’s penchant for valuing possessions. His teams have never landed outside the top five in the league in fewest turnovers committed.

During his time with the Hornets, they committed the fewest turnovers in the league in his initial four seasons before finishing third in his final year.

“We are pleased to welcome Steve back to our franchise,” Kupchak in a statement. “We believe that his previous experience and coaching philosophy make him the best coach for our team. Steve has a proven track record of improving defenses and is detail oriented. He has a history of maximizing players’ talent and working with them to develop and expand their skill sets.

“Steve is committed to playing with the same offensive pace that our fans are accustomed to seeing the last few years. We are confident that he will be able to help our young players continue to grow as we look to take the next step as a team.”

With the Hornets, Clifford is expected to employ the same kind of uptempo offense that propelled LaMelo Ball to an All-Star campaign in his second season. The Hornets’ roster is constructed much differently than it was during Clifford’s first tour with the franchise, when they didn’t have many offensive weapons outside of Kemba Walker, and Clifford intends on taking advantage of those strengths.

The familiarity with Clifford, 60, is partially what led the Hornets to tab him as their head coach again. He remained on good terms with Jordan and even Kupchak despite his dismissal and that helped in bringing him back on board. He should transition into the position rapidly, which is a necessity with the offseaon already underway and free agency arriving next week.

Earlier Friday following the Hornets’ introductory press conference for draft picks Mark Williams and Bryce McGowens, Kupchak spoke about the need to have someone in place by, at minimum, when summer league action tips off in two weeks. It’s particularly important for Clifford to quickly become acclimated with his new roster, including the Hornets’ young core.

“Hopefully, getting the coach to Vegas so he could make some judgments as to how much they’ve improved,” Kupchak said, “and the coach (can begin) building relationships with the players. So that when the fall comes around we are not starting the process. We are already through the process and now it’s just about training camp and hopefully staying healthy and playing ball.”

This story was originally published June 24, 2022 at 5:37 PM.