CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Clifford, the winningest coach in Charlotte Hornets history, will step down at the end of the season, an NBA league source confirmed to WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni.
"I can't do this right now," Clifford said Wednesday. "It's best for me to step aside."
Clifford is winding down his second stint as Charlotte's head coach. He led Charlotte to its most recent playoff appearance in 2015-16. The Hornets are near the bottom of the NBA standings this year at 18-57 overall, which is 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference.
Clifford admitted Wednesday his tenure as head coach, which was plagued with injuries for his star players, was not what he wanted it to be.
"It's not what I wanted it to be," he said. "I don't know if many people have had a better life than I've had."
Jeff Peterson, the team's recently hired executive vice president of basketball operations, gave Clifford the benefit of he doubt.
"He's unfortunately dealt with circumstances out of his hand," Peterson said referencing injuries and legal troubles.
Charlotte won 43 games last season but was eliminated in the NBA's play-in tournament.
Clifford will coach the team's final seven games of the season and is expected to take a position in the organization's front office, according to the team.
“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a written statement. "I believe this is best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets – our young core of players, Jeff’s leadership of our basketball operations and Rick and Gabe’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.”
The Hornets recently hired Peterson to replace Mitch Kupchak as the president of basketball operations. He will now be tasked with finding a new head coach in addition to rebuilding the roster around budding star Brandon Miller.
During a news conference Wednesday, Peterson thanked Clifford for his willingness to announce the changes before the season ends. Peterson hopes this will give the Hornets a better chance at recruiting a new coach, a role that is in high demand across the league.
Clifford led Charlotte to two playoff appearances during his initial run as head coach from 2013 to 2018. His 241 wins are the most in franchise history. He also led the Orlando Magic to the playoffs twice before returning to Charlotte.
Clifford's decision to step down was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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