What teams did Steve Clifford coached?

Steve Clifford is a professional basketball coach who serves as a front-office advisor for the Charlotte Hornets as of January 2025. His basketball journey began during his college years at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he spent four years as a player. After graduating, Clifford started his career in education as a teacher at Woodland High School in Maine. He got his first taste of coaching basketball there, leading the school's team to two tournaments during his two seasons as head coach.

Clifford's path to the NBA began when he joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy. He later followed Van Gundy to the Houston Rockets, where he built a strong reputation for his defensive coaching expertise. His success led him to the Orlando Magic, where he worked as an assistant coach under Stan Van Gundy, further cementing his status as a valuable basketball mind. This early foundation set the stage for Clifford's later success as an NBA head coach, combining his educational background with his growing expertise in professional basketball.

Teams Steve Clifford has coached

The 63-year-old Clifford was connected to the game of basketball from 1983. He started his career as a head coach at Woodland High School and went on to coach many university-level teams till 2000. After successful stints at the college level, Clifford got the NBA call in 2001, where he was appointed as the assistant coach for the New York Knicks.

Under Jeff Van Gundy, Steve Clifford was part of the Knicks and Rockets coaching staff and later assisted Stan Van Gundy at the Orlando Magic. He took over a player development role and was part of defensive strategies for the teams he assisted. Clifford’s Magic team reached the 2009 NBA Finals after making back-to-back postseason appearances.

Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2013-2017 and 2022-2024)

Steve Clifford took the head coaching role for the Charlotte Bobcats in 2013. The team was later renamed to the Charlotte Hornets in 2014. He instilled his defensive strategies, which led the team to their just second playoff appearance in 12 years. Sadly, Clifford’s health issue forced him to leave the team in 2018. After a brief break and another stint at the Orlando Magic, an Eastern Conference team, Clifford was rehired as head coach of the Hornets in 2022. He is working as the front-desk advisor for the team as of December 2024, after he stepped down as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets in April 2024.