Bobcats hire Clifford as head coach

May 29, 2013 - 6:57 PM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats officially made Steve Clifford the sixth head coach in franchise history on Wednesday.

"We are excited to have Steve Clifford as our new head coach," Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said. "He brings a strong pedigree and a track record of success to our franchise. He has built a reputation as an innovator, especially defensively, and has experience in multiple systems. We look forward to utilizing his knowledge as we continue to build this team."

Clifford replaces Mike Dunlap, who was fired in April following a woeful 21-61 campaign.

This will be Clifford's first head coaching job in the NBA. He spent the last 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the Knicks, Rockets, Magic and Lakers.

Clifford worked under Jeff Van Gundy in Houston from 2003-2007 before joining Jeff's brother, Stan, in Orlando from 2007 through the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

"Any good coach has a clear, definitive vision of how they want their team to play, to work, to practice. I have that," Clifford said during his introductory press conference.