The Charlotte Hornets will be on a market for a new head coach in the summer. The franchise announced on Wednesday that their current head coach Steve Clifford will step down from his role after the 2023-24 NBA season.
Clifford will still remain part of the franchise moving forward and is expected to “move into an advisory role with the front office next season.”
Clifford was hired as the Hornets’ head coach in 2022 for his second stint with the franchise. After finishing the last season with a 27-55 record, Charlotte is currently 18-57 with seven games left in 2023-24.
Despite having a poor record, Clifford is well respected by the Hornets front office and was reportedly offered an opportunity to return next season. However, he decided to reject the opportunity because he “wasn’t prepared to commit to the year-round grind of head coaching,” according to ESPN.
“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a statement. “I believe this is best for me and the organization.”
A longtime NBA assistant, Steve Clifford received his first head coaching opportunity with Charlotte in 2013. He spent five years during his first stint with the franchise, making playoffs twice. After being fired at the end of the 2017–18 season, Clifford was hired by the Orlando Magic and led them to two playoff appearances during his three seasons in charge.
