The Charlotte Hornets are set to interview four NBA assistant coaches in an effort to fill their coaching vacancy before next season, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
That early list consists of Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young and Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, the son of former NBA coach Rick Adelman.
All four have interviewed for head-coaching vacancies around the NBA in at least each of the past two offseasons.
The Hornets are aiming to replace Steve Clifford, who announced he’s stepping down at the end of the season. He will move into a front-office role.
Again, this is just an early list, as Charlotte is expected to pursue more candidates “in the coming days,” Wojnarowski wrote.
“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a statement earlier this week. “I believe this is best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets — our young core of players, (GM Jeff Petersen‘s) leadership of our basketball operations and (team owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin‘s) vision for the organization.
“I want to thank all the Hornets players and staff for their work the past two seasons and our Hornets fans for their continued support of our team.”
Clifford, 62, reportedly had informed his players and assistant coaches of his decision ahead of the official announcement.
Meanwhile, Peterson is expected to cast a wide-ranging search throughout the entire NBA, and perhaps the college ranks.
“We will look to hire someone that shares our values and vision in developing our young core and creating a culture and identity based on teamwork, accountability and competitiveness,” Peterson said. “We will conduct a thorough search process to select the best head coach for the Hornets moving forward.”
Peterson was brought in from the Nets in February, when he replaced former Charlotte GM Mitch Kupchak. Many felt then that Peterson would want to make his own coaching hire, especially given the Hornets’ struggles.
But per Wojnarowski, Peterson and the Hornets were open to bringing back Clifford for another run. He’s currently finishing his second season in his second run with the franchise.
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