Steve Clifford will be off the Hornets bench…and Jordi Fernandez is already ringing

Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will leave his position at the end of the season and move into a management position with the organization.

Clifford, 62, will manage the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

“Now is the right time for me to step down,” he said in a team news release. “I think this is what’s best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets…I want to thank all of the Hornets players and staff, as well as the Hornets fans, for their work over the past two seasons.” Thank you for your continued support to the team. ”

The team said the search for Clifford’s replacement would begin immediately, and ESPN reported that top targets include Boston’s Charles Lee, Sacramento’s Jordi Fernandez, Miami’s Chris Quinn and Phoenix’s Kevin Young.

Jeff Peterson, the Hornets’ executive vice president of basketball operations, said: “We are building a team that shares our values ​​and vision to develop a young core and build a culture and identity based on teamwork, responsibility and competitiveness. We intend to hire people who will do the same.” “We will now conduct a thorough search process to select the best head coach for the Hornets.”

The Hornets will once again be one of the worst teams in the NBA since Clifford already coached the Charlotte team from 2013 to 2018.