Sixers Expected to Make Coaching Change to G-League Affiliate

While the NBA season sits only a few weeks away at this point, there is still plenty of time for their developmental league, the G-League, as its regular season is set to kick off in early November. As such, teams around the association are getting their ducks in a row for their various rosters, whether that means signing players to two-way deals or making head coaching changes.

The latter of which is true for the Delaware Blue Coats, the G-League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, as it was reported in early September that their head coach of two years, Mike Longabardi, had been promoted to an assistant role under Nick Nurse in Philadelphia's coaching system.

The Philadelphia 76ers will name JP Clark as head coach of their G League affiliate, Delaware Blue Coats, sources told @hoopshype. Clark was recently an assistant coach for the Blue Coats. Prior, Clark was a Clippers assistant coach and Celtics assistant for player development. pic.twitter.com/0K0MQVSXzS
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 10, 2025

This promotion left a vacancy for the Blue Coats' newly appointed general manager, Ariana Andonian, and the rest of the front office to fill in, and it appears they've made up their mind. As reported by HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Delaware is set to promote JP Clark to lead the team for the upcoming season.

Who is JP Clark?

Clark was previously an assistant coach under the aforementioned Longabardi for both years in which he was at the helm at the Chase Fieldhouse. This means that Clark played a role in developing some of the players to come out of the Blue Coats system in the past few seasons, which includes the likes of Ricky Council IV, Kenneth Lofton Jr, Darius Bazley, Marcus Bagley, and, most recently, Justin Edwards, who signed a three-year deal with the Sixers in the offseason.

This also means that Clark was in the team for their lackluster performance last season, finishing the campaign with a record of 14-20, the affiliate's worst record since the 2013-14 season, when they went 12-38, and were known as the Delaware 87ers.

Jeff Dowtin Jr dunks the ball. — Feb 16, 2025; Oakland, California, USA; Team Strictly guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. (11) of the Delaware Blue Coats dunks during the first half against Team Swish Cultures at Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

This downward spiral could in part be attributed to a few things, mainly the amount of turnover the team faced with their roster, as the Sixers continuously brought their two-way talents with them for their matches, with the aforementioned Edwards, as well as Jeff Dowtin Jr finding consistent play time in the NBA.

Apart from his role in Delaware, Clark has been a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics' coaching staff, as well as the head coach of Metros de Santiago, a professional basketball team in the Dominican Republic.

When does the Blue Coats' season start?

Delaware will start their season off in early November, like the rest of the G-League, as it'll welcome the Westchester Knicks and Greensboro Swarm into the Chase Field House before heading out on the road.

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