For the second time in franchise history, the Hornets are hiring Steve Clifford as their head coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Clifford’s first head coaching opportunity was with Charlotte in 2013 after 12 years as an assistant coach in the NBA. In five seasons leading the Hornets, Clifford coached the team to two playoff appearances in ’14 and ’16, which was the last time the organization played in the playoffs.
After Charlotte fired him in 2018, Clifford became the Magic head coach for the next three seasons. However, he failed to reach the postseason in any of those years and Orlando let him go following the 2020-21 season.