Hornets coach Steve Clifford to leave at season’s end

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Steve Clifford will step down as the Hornets head coach but expects to remain with the franchise in an advisory role.

Steve Clifford will no longer be the Hornets’ head coach — again.

Clifford plans to step down after coaching the remainder of the season and take an advisory role with the team. Clifford was the Hornets’ coach from 2013-18 and returned in 2022 after three seasons with the Orlando Magic.

“I think there is a certain energy level you need to have a chance to coach effectively in this league,” he said. “I think probably the last few years the losing factored in it a little bit. As we’ve been discussing things, I’m just not comfortable with it. We talked in these last few weeks it’s just best for me to step aside.”

As it stands, Clifford’s advisory role is uncertain as to the details and job duties that will entail, but he and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson plan on moving Clifford into a role he can thrive in and be best suited for.

“I want to first start by saying I really appreciate Cliff,” Peterson said. “I just want to thank him for all the time, the energy, and everything he has put into this city in the Carolinas and this franchise. He is an amazing person and a great coach. He has unfortunately dealt with situations and circumstances that are really out of his hands like injuries and things like that. So, maybe his record isn’t indicative of how good of a coach he is.”

Peterson didn’t decide to bring Clifford on as an advisor quickly, and he didn’t take that decision lightly.

“[Clifford] is a man of integrity,” Peterson said. “He has a wealth of knowledge and experience. At the same time, I think one of the things that are most attractive about him is that he is a lifelong learner. So, he’s going to teach me a lot in this role, but sometimes he’s curious and wants to figure things out. So, I’m excited to be able to do that together.”

Clifford, who hasn’t seen the front office side of the business, feels it’s something he would like to do in his new role.

“A lot of NFL teams have an offensive advisor,” Clifford said. “For the Panthers, it was like Jim Caldwell. I would love to do that. I think it’d be fun. I’d be just as interested in learning to draft and learning how to do free agency. I don’t want to do the cap. It's just learning from [Peterson] and the other guys. I don’t know anything about the front office. So, that part is really exciting.”

The search for the next Hornets’ coach is underway. Peterson doesn’t have a specific mold in mind, but he assured everyone he and co-chairmen Gable Plotkin and Rick Schnall would be diligent in their efforts to find the best fit.

“I’ll be leading the process in terms of finding the next head coach for the Hornets,” Peterson said. “In terms of what I’m looking for, I want someone who is going to be a true partner with not only the front office but with ownership and his team. We want someone who can hold players accountable, relate to the players and get the best out of them.”

As Clifford enters the next phase in his career, he isn’t reflecting just yet. He still has a few more games left to coach, and his focus is on winning.

“I want us to finish strong,” he said. “I want us to play the right way. If you want the players to think that way, we’ve got to be thinking that way, so that is where I’m at. There will be time in the summer or maybe a few years from now [to reflect]. But I’ve told you guys this from the beginning, and I mean it; I have lived the dream.”

Said Clifford: “To be able to look back on it, I’ve been blessed all the way through. It’s not just the players. It’s the people that you work with and the people you get to meet. But I don’t want to [think about that] just yet. I want to be focused on the game tonight, against Orlando on Friday and Oklahoma City on Sunday. I want our guys to play well.”

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