Next season, Jeff Van Gundy will be back on the sidelines.
Van Gundy has accepted a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers to take over as Ty Lue’s top assistant, according to a report published on Tuesday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Van Gundy’s tenure as the Houston Rockets’ head coach from 2003 to 2007 marked his final NBA coaching gig. In addition to Lue’s 2004 Houston play, Van Gundy and Lue have collaborated on the USA Basketball staff.
Following his firing by the Rockets, Van Gundy spent 16 years as an ESPN employee. After being fired by the network the previous year, he worked as a consultant for the Boston Celtics, who on Monday night upset the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA title.
In addition, Van Gundy was the New York Knicks’ coach from 1996 to 2001. As a head coach, he has 430 overall victories and a 44-44 postseason record. In 1999, Van Gundy led the Knicks to the NBA Finals.
Throughout the season, one Eastern Conference team considered hiring the 61-year-old Van Gundy as their head coach. An important assistant coach position ought to be a suitable starting point for him if his objective is to return to the NBA as a head coach after over two decades away.
Despite Kawhi Leonard’s injury, the Clippers finished 51-31 this season and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the playoffs. In May, they agreed to an extension with Lue.
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