Hornets agree to 3-year extension with coach Steve Clifford
The Charlotte Hornets have come to terms on a three-year contract extension with head coach Steve Clifford, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports.
The move was confirmed by the team shortly thereafter.
Clifford joined the Hornets three seasons ago and immediately led the team to a playoff berth. The team took on a gritty defensive identity, ranking in the top 10 in defensive efficiency in each of the past two seasons despite lacking anything close to an elite rim protector.
The offense, however, has typically been a problem: His teams ranked in the bottom five in offensive efficiency over the last two seasons.
Clifford has implemented a new pace-and-space offense with his revamped roster, however, and now Charlotte boasts the league's fourth-best attack. The defense has taken a minor step back, but Clifford appears willing and able to drastically change his team's identity in order to fix long-standing problems.
Prior to finding a head-coaching gig in Charlotte, Clifford spent 13 seasons as an assistant with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and briefly the Los Angeles Lakers. Clifford is a disciple of the Van Gundy coaching tree, as he spent 12 seasons with both brothers Jeff and Stan.
Clifford finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting in 2013-14.