The Charlotte Hornets have embarked on a new chapter, with new majority owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, along with president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, tasked with selecting their first head coach. The team has interviewed several potential replacements for Steve Clifford, who announced his departure at the end of the season, and they may have found an unexpected candidate in JJ Redick.
Reports have emerged that Charlotte has interviewed Redick for the head coaching position. NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed Redick’s status as a ‘serious candidate’ during a recent podcast appearance. ‘JJ Redick has interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets head coaching job, and I’m told he’s a serious candidate,’ Charania said. ‘They’ve had a deep coaching search already with a bunch of assistants around the league. But JJ Redick has a strong desire to move into coaching, and if it isn’t Charlotte there could be more interviews for him in this cycle.’
Redick boasts a strong basketball pedigree, having played 15 seasons in the NBA. He also has connections to North Carolina, having attended Duke University. Currently, Redick serves as an NBA analyst for ESPN and hosts several podcasts, demonstrating his deep understanding of the game. However, hiring Redick would be a risky move for a team eager to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Redick has no prior high-level coaching experience. While he excelled in a leadership role as a veteran player, he has not had to balance managing powerful personalities with the various other responsibilities of a head coach. Steve Nash, a former player who became a head coach with no experience, joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2020. Despite having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden on his team, Nash was out after seven games of the 2022-23 season, with an overall record of 94-67 and no Eastern Conference semis appearances. Nash’s experience highlights the challenges of transitioning directly to the top of the coaching profession.
The Hornets have a young core led by LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, and they have the third-best odds of landing the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The organization could benefit from a coach who is closer in age to the team’s key players, but they also need someone with experience developing players to maximize the talent on the roster. Choosing the right coach is crucial for the Hornets, and Redick’s lack of experience could be a significant risk.
