Ford to be new Clippers head coach
Posted: Tuesday January 12, 1999 09:55 PM
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Out with the old: The fired Bill Fitch was Chris Ford's (above) coach during his final three years as a player in Boston Tom Hauck/Allsport |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Former Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks coach
Chris Ford will be hired Wednesday as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers,
the Associated Press learned.
The Clippers have been without a coach since Bill Fitch was fired last
April 20, two days after the team completed a 17-65 season that was
third-worst in the NBA.
Fitch coached the Clippers to a 99-229 record in four seasons. He has a
career record of 944-1,106.
Clippers spokesperson Jill Wiggins refused comment except to say the team
would hold a press conference Wednesday at 3 p.m. PST at the Los Angeles
Convention Center to make what she called a major announcement.
Ford, who turned 50 on Monday, coached the Celtics from 1990-95 and the
Bucks for the last two seasons. He was fired 4 1/2 months ago with one year
remaining on his contract after the Bucks went 36-46 and failed to make the
playoffs for the second straight year.
Ford played in the NBA for 10 seasons, six with the Detroit Pistons and
four with the Celtics. He was an assistant with the Celtics for seven years
before his five-year tenure as coach.
Fitch was Ford's coach in his final three years as a player in Boston.
The Clippers had announced that Ford, former Sacramento Kings coach
Eddie Jordan and Jim Brewer were the three finalists for the job. Brewer
was an assistant under Fitch for four years.
"You hear so many different rumors," Clippers swing man Eric
Piatkowski said after the team worked out Tuesday at Veterans Memorial
Park in suburban Carson. "I think each player has his own preference. We'll
just have to wait and see.
"They can't do a whole lot right now, anyway," Piatkowski said, referring
to the fact that coaches can't attend team workouts until the start of
training camp next week.
Pooh
Richardson, who also attended the practice, said the sooner the
Clippers have a coach, the better.
"We have a lot of young guys," Richardson said. "I don't know coach Ford.
I know he played in the league, he's a person who fell victim to injuries
[on the Bucks].
"They're all capable coaches, they all have positive strong points."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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