The search is on: Finding the Charlotte Hornets’ new head coach
CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — The last time the Charlotte Hornets needed to find a new head coach, they reached back into the past to find their man.
Now two years later, they’re on the lookout again, but this time it appears the job will go to someone with no previous ties to the franchise.
“Obviously someone who could hold the players accountable,” said Hornets EVP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson when asked what qualities he was looking for in Clifford’s replacement. “(Someone) who could relate to the players, (and) get the best out of them.”
Now there are plenty of people more than qualified for the position. The questions are, would they be the right fit for Charlotte and would Charlotte be willing to spend top dollar to get them? If the Hornets are, then former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer would be an interesting candidate.
Budenholzer is a former NBA champion who knows how to get the most out of his players. However, unless the price is right from the Hornets front office, he might not be willing to commit to a rebuild.
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So clearly, it’s not as simple as hiring the biggest name on the market.
“(Owners) Gabe, Rick, and I are aligned, it’s going to be a thorough search,” Peterson said.
More likely it will be an up-and-comer that takes the position, and if that happens, a person you should know about is Heat top assistant Chris Quinn. He’s worked in Miami for almost a decade studying under coach head Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley
At 40, Quinn is looking for his first NBA head coaching position, as is the Celtic’s Charles Lee. Considered by some to be the front-runner for the job, reports say the Hornets have already secured permission from Boston for an interview.
They’ve allegedly also done the same with Phoenix assistant Kevin Young as well as Sacramento’s Jordi Fernandez, who doubles as the head man for the Canadian Olympic team.
“I’m really excited to talk to some new candidates. Again you can just learn so much,” Peterson said.
It figures then to be an enlightening couple of weeks because as Peterson knows, this Charlotte franchise has to get this right.
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