Report: Hornets extend Clifford with multi-year deal

By foxsports
Published

The Charlotte Hornets have a solid head coach in Steve Clifford, and they reportedly aren't willing to let him become a free agent this summer. 

According to The Charlotte Observer, Clifford and the Hornets have agreed on a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Charlotte until 2019:

Clifford’s initial contract would have expired after this season. There was wide-spread speculation he would have been a candidate for possible openings with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. Clifford finished fourth in balloting for NBA Coach of the Year in his first season as a head coach. The Hornets regressed in his second season, finishing 33-49 after numerous injuries to key players.

Clifford spent 13 years as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers before taking over as the lead man in Charlotte in 2013. 

His record with the team is 84-94 and he's yet to win a playoff game. But Clifford's the architect behind the Hornets' resilient defense, and deserves an opportunity to build them up on the other side of the ball.