Steve Clifford Biography

Steve Clifford is in his second stint as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. A former athlete himself, Clifford played four years of college basketball for the University of Maine at Farmington. He was team captain for his final two years and earned the title of Best Defensive Player. In his early years, Clifford played for his father, his high school basketball coach.

After graduating from college with a degree in special education, Clifford quickly followed his coaching passion by serving as an assistant for the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets in 2001. Moving on to the Orlando Magic and then the Los Angeles Lakers, Clifford continued to make an impact wherever he went, quickly using his defensive expertise to develop a strong reputation.

Clifford was initially named head coach in Charlotte in 2013. He guided the franchise to two playoff appearances in five seasons. Clifford then led the Orlando Magic to back-to-back postseason trips in 2019 and 2020 before stepping down the following year. He was again named the Hornets coach in 2022.  

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