Reportedly, Hornets' Clifford to step down at season's end

Sources have informed ESPN that Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will be stepping down from his position at the end of the season and is currently in talks to secure a front office role within the franchise.

Clifford reportedly shared this decision with his assistants and players on Wednesday morning, and he will continue to coach the Hornets for their remaining seven games, starting with Wednesday night's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

While Charlotte's new executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin expressed interest in retaining Clifford as coach for the next season, the 62-year-old coach decided he wasn't prepared to commit to the demanding year-round responsibilities of head coaching for the 2024-2025 season.


Clifford's choice not to return aims to avoid impeding the franchise's ability to pursue top coaching talent available in the market. This allows the Hornets to initiate an immediate search for his replacement.

It's anticipated that the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, both of whom currently have interim head coaches, will also be actively searching for coaches during the offseason.

Throughout Clifford's return to Charlotte over the past two seasons, the Hornets have faced numerous challenges, including injuries and absences. Notably, All-Star guard LaMelo Ball appeared in only 22 games before being sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Peterson, who previously collaborated with Clifford in Brooklyn, and the ownership are keen on establishing an advisor role that would enable Clifford to remain in Charlotte and contribute to various aspects of the organization. Finalization of these arrangements is expected in the coming weeks.

During his tenure as head coach with the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, spanning 10 seasons, Clifford amassed a record of 337-457 and led the team to four appearances in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Source TheScore : Report: Hornets' Clifford stepping down at end of season
Source ESPN : Steve Clifford stepping down as Hornets coach, sources say