LOS ANGELES, July 28 -- The Los Angeles Clippers named veteran Bill Fitch their new head coach Thursday, marking the ninth time in 10 years the club has hired a new coach. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but the Los Angeles Times reported in Thursday's edtions that Fitch has signed a multi-year deal.
Fitch replaces Bob Weiss, who was fired after one season with the team. The 60-year-old Fitch has coached in 1,722 NBA games, most in league history. He has a 21-year record of 845-877 and captured the 1981 league championship as coach of the Boston Celtics. Fitch also took the Houston Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1986. Fitch last coached in 1992 with the New Jersey Nets. He was fired after two years at the helm in New Jersey. 'We have constantly said that our goal is to hire a person who is respected for his winning mentality, experience and an ability to both motivate and to be motivated,' said Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. 'We think we have met that criteria to the letter by hiring Bill Fitch.' Last season under Weiss, the Clippers had a record of 27-55 and finished at the bottom of the Pacific Division. They failed to make the playoffs for the eighth time in their 10 seasons in Los Angeles. The team also had talks with former Los Angeles Lakers coach Randy Pfund, but he said they weren't serious negotiations and that the situation with the Clippers 'wasn't right for me'.
