Hornets Hire New Head Coach From Title Contending Staff

The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a four-year contract with Boston Celtics lead assistant coach Charles Lee to become their new head coach, according to ESPN.

The Hornets are looking to bounce back from a dismal 21-61 season. Lee’s wealth of experience and winning pedigree make him an attractive choice to lead the team’s rebuild.

Lee, 39, will join forces with Jeff Peterson, the new executive president of basketball operations, with whom he started his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hornets are poised for a significant turnaround, with the return of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, the potential re-signing of free agent forward Miles Bridges, and the rapid development of No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller.

Lee takes the reins from Steve Clifford, who stepped down at the end of the season to move into a front-office role. Clifford led the Hornets to the playoffs in 2020, but the team has struggled since then, including a 27-55 record last season.

Before joining the Celtics as the top assistant under Joe Mazzulla last summer, Lee spent five years under two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer with the Bucks, winning an NBA championship in 2021. He began his coaching career in 2012 at Bucknell, where he was the Patriot League Player of the Year in his senior season 2006.

After playing two years of international professional basketball, Lee joined Budenholzer’s staff with the Hawks in 2014 before moving to the Bucks in 2018 and the Celtics last summer.

The Hornets will introduce Lee as their new head coach at a press conference next week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.