Charlotte Hornets Extend Head Coach Charles Lee on Thursday After 44-38 Season

May 7th, 2024.

After a 21-61 season, Head Coach Steve Clifford announced that he would be stepping down from his role to receive a position in the front office with the Charlotte Hornets. In response, the Hornets would embark on a coaching search to find someone to help guide LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and the Hornets upcoming first-round pick towards the future.

After a search that involved Phoenix's Kevin Young (BYU), Denver's David Adelman (Denver), ESPN's JJ Redick (Los Angeles Lakers), and Sacramento's Jordi Fernandez (Brooklyn), the Hornets hired Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, who in just one month's time would win his second NBA title as an assistant coach.

May 7th, 2025.

The Hornets are one week away from the NBA Draft Lottery, where they were tied for the best odds to land the first overall pick, and would get the chance to draft Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.

They had just come off a sub-20 win season, and first-year Head Coach Charles Lee had a rocky season that still had some questioning as to whether or not he may be the future leader of the team. None of those questions came from the organization, though, and President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson had full faith in Lee going forward.

May 7th, 2026.

After a 16-28 start to the season, those questions from the fans still remained. They went away quickly, though, as Lee was able to eventually piece together a 44-38 season, nearly giving the Hornets their first playoff appearance since 2016.

Lee earned the NBA's Coach of the Month award for the month of January, and will received votes for the Coach of the Year award.

With all that in mind, Peterson and the Hornets rewarded Lee with a contract extension on Thursday afternoon, a commitment from the organization that Lee would be the leader for the organization going forward.

"Charles has done an outstanding job establishing a foundation for who we want to be as a team," said Peterson in a statement released by the team.

"From day one, Charles and his staff have prioritized player development, creating an environment where each of our players are committed to getting better and continue to improve. He has built a team-first culture rooted in accountability, hard work and professionalism. I'm excited to keep working closely with Charles as we continue to build the Hornets for long-term success."

"I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this team and building on what we’ve started here in Charlotte,” the two-time NBA champion said in the statement. "I’m excited about the direction we’re headed and our team’s bright future. Our players have shown a real commitment to growth, and I’m proud of the culture we’re establishing together. We’re just getting started, and I’m looking forward to the work ahead.”

Lee has done an excellent job making the most of the roster he is given, something he may have partially picked up from Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla. Lee's Hornets continually fight in every game they are in, no matter who the opponent is, no matter who is available for the night.

With everyone healthy this season, a 25 (and potentially more if Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball were healthy to begin the season) win improvement saw the Hornets narrowly miss the postseason, and were one of the NBA's top teams since the turn of the calendar to 2026.

The Hornets have secured their head coach for the foreseeable future.

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