BREAKING: Hornets Name Charles Lee Head Coach

Charlotte has its next head coach.

Oct 1, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee gives / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Early Thursday morning, the Charlotte Hornets announced that they will be hiring Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee as the franchise's next head coach.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” said Peterson in a statement released by the team. “His high character and his ability to connect with players while also instilling a culture of accountability will serve us well as we construct a competitive team built for long-term success. Charles possesses a championship pedigree with a wide range of basketball knowledge and NBA experience, has a tremendous work ethic and is a great communicator. He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in the Carolinas. I can’t wait for our Hornets community to meet Charles, his wife Lindsey and his beautiful daughters, and feel Charles’ passion for the game and the intensity of his desire to win.”

“The opportunity to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true,” said Lee.  “I want to thank Rick Schnall, Gabe Plotkin and Jeff Peterson for the trust they are placing in me to lead this team. The Hornets have a talented young core of players and I’m excited about our future and what we can build here. There are few places as passionate about basketball as the Carolinas, and I look forward to coming to Charlotte and getting to work.”

Lee has ties to the organization, spending time as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014-18, during the same time Rick Schnall was a minority owner with the franchise. He is widely regarded as one of the top young coaches in the game and has played a major role in the success of Milwuakee Bucks (2018-23) and the Boston Celtics this season.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Lee will remain with the Celtics during the playoffs. He will begin his transition to Charlotte at the end of their season.