Pacers Rumors: Steve Clifford, Brian Shaw, Terry Stotts to Interview for HC Job
June 21, 2021
The Indiana Pacers will interview Steve Clifford, Brian Shaw and Terry Stotts in Chicago for their open head coach position, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Clifford, 59, is best known for his head coaching gigs with the Charlotte Hornets (2014-2018) and Orlando Magic (2018-2021). He led his teams to the playoffs on four separate occasions. Clifford and the Magic agreed to a mutual parting of ways in June.
Shaw, 55, played in the NBA from 1988-2003. He coached in the NBA from 2005-2019, notably going 56-85 for the Denver Nuggets in his lone head-coaching stint (2013-2015). He currently works as the head coach for the NBA's G League Ignite.
Stotts and the Portland Trail Blazers separated after this past season, which saw the Blazers go 42-30 and lose to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Portland went to the playoffs eight straight years under Stotts, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2019. The 63-year-old coached Portland for nine seasons and also worked as the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks (2002-2004) and Milwaukee Bucks (2005-2007).
Indiana is looking for a new sideline leader after parting ways with Nate Bjorkgren, who went 34-38 in his lone season on the Pacer bench.
Indiana reached the play-in round and beat the Charlotte Hornets but lost an elimination game to the Washington Wizards, preventing the Pacers from making the postseason. That marked the first time the Pacers missed the playoffs since 2015.