Steve Clifford is again in Charlotte to teach the Hornets after a four-year absence.

Clifford agreed to phrases on Friday after Golden State’s Kenny Atkinson, who initially took the pinnacle teaching job, modified his thoughts and determined to remain as an assistant with the Warriors.

GM Mitch Kupchak, who fired the 60-year-old Clifford as one among his first acts as the brand new GM in 2018, employed the ex-coach the day after the NBA Draft.

OFFICIAL: Now we have named Steve Clifford head coach. Clifford, who beforehand served as head coach from 2013-2018, is the second-winningest coach in franchise historical past. @CorcoranHM | 🔗: https://t.co/ayn3xxdtze pic.twitter.com/4LRNaWK85U

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 24, 2022

Clifford’s return comes on the heels of James Borrego’s firing in April.

The Hornets have been 43-39 underneath Borrego final season and  138-163 over the previous 4 years.

The 2021-22 season was the one profitable season underneath Borrego although the workforce did make the Play-Within the final two seasons.

In his first stint because the Hornets coach, Clifford led the workforce to 2 playoff appearances in 5 years with a 196-214 file.

“We imagine that his earlier expertise and training philosophy make him the most effective coach for our workforce,” stated Kupchak in a press launch from the workforce. “Steve has a confirmed observe file of enhancing defenses and is detail-oriented. He has a historical past of maximizing gamers’ expertise and dealing with them to develop and develop their talent units. Steve is dedicated to taking part in with the identical offensive tempo that our followers are accustomed to seeing the previous few years. We’re assured that he’ll be capable of assist our younger gamers proceed to develop as we glance to take the following step as a workforce.”

The defensive-minded Clifford takes over an offensive-minded workforce, ranked eighth within the league with a string of younger expertise led by fan-favorite LaMelo Ball.

“That is an thrilling younger workforce with lots of gifted items,” Clifford stated, per ESPN. “Charlotte is a superb metropolis, and I do know first-hand the eagerness that Hornets followers have for this franchise. I can’t wait to get again to city and begin working with our gamers.”

Clifford spent three years in Orlando as head coach with back-to-back playoff appearances and final season as a marketing consultant with the Brooklyn Nets.