Steve Gerald Clifford is a veteran coach in the NBA currently serving as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. He has been in the leadership position since first becoming a head coach in 2013 and has displayed excellence in his work as a mentor and guide for his players. With his unwavering commitment and profound knowledge of the game, Coach Clifford’s contributions to the game are nothing less than significant.
Coach Clifford's journey to becoming a respectable figure in basketball began in Vermont where he played varsity basketball at North County Union High School under his dad and coach Gerald Clifford. Clifford later joined the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) and played there for four years.
Starting in junior year, he was assigned as the team captain and emerged to become one of the best defensive players on the team. After graduating from UMF with a degree in special education, Clifford soon began his career as a teacher at Woodland High School before transitioning to become the head coach for the school’s Basketball team.
Over the years, Clifford continued developing his passion for his job and began coaching for multiple Division I programmes. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that he broke through into the NBA and went on to become a reputed figure in the league.
What is Steve Clifford’s Salary?
Steve Clifford earns an estimated four million dollars a year as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
Steve Clifford Contract
In June of 2022, Clifford agreed to a three-year contract to return to Charlotte in his second stint as head coach. The first two years of the deal will earn Clifford a total of $8 Million with the final year being Club option.
In his return last season, the Charlotte Hornets finished their season with 27 wins and 55 losses. In his first stint with the team from 2013 to 2018, Clifford guided the Hornets to two first-round matchups in 2014 and 2016 where they got eliminated by the Miami Heat on both occasions. In his five seasons, Coach Clifford led the Hornets to a combined 199-222 record.
In May 2018, the Orlando Magic announced their signing of Steve Clifford as the franchise’s new head coach. As per sources at the time, Clifford agreed to a four-year deal but was let go after just three seasons. Clifford made an impact on arrival after leading the team to their first playoff series since 2012 but got defeated by the Toronto Raptors. Magic again qualified for the 2020 playoffs but got eliminated by a dominant Milwaukee Bucks team. After a disappointing 2020-21 season, Orlando parted ways with coach Clifford.
Before becoming a head coach in 2013, Clifford served as an assistant coach and consultant for twelve years with top teams like the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his recent misfortunes as a head coach, Steve Clifford is still among the best coaching minds in the league. But with their second overall draft pick in Brandon Miller and other interesting picks, Coach Clifford has a good opportunity in hand to turn an underestimated Hornets team into legitimate contenders this season.
FAQs
A. Steve Gerald Clifford is full name of Steve Clifford.
A. Born on September 17, 1961, Clifford is 63 years old as of December 2024.
A. Clifford began as head coach for Woodland High School in 1983.
A. Clifford has a career coaching record of 337 wins – 457 losses.
