Hornets fire head coach Borrego
The Charlotte Hornets relieved head coach James Borrego of his duties, president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak announced Friday.
Charlotte finished the regular season with a 43-39 record, a 10-win improvement over last season. However, they were eliminated with a blowout loss from the play-in tournament for the second straight year, both times as the No. 10 seed.
Borrego went a combined 138-163 over four seasons with the Hornets. This season was the first year the team posted a winning record under the 44-year-old.
"I want to thank JB for his hard work and commitment during these past four seasons," Kupchak said. "Beyond his work as a coach, he is a tremendous person. I wish him and his family the best in the future.
"These decisions are always difficult. Having said that, we have a talented, young core of players, which has me very excited about the future of the Hornets. We will begin the search for our new head coach immediately."
The Hornets signed Borrego to a multi-year extension in August 2021, though the exact length of the agreement was not disclosed. His previous contract was set to expire after this season.
Borrego was formerly an assistant for two stints with the San Antonio Spurs and one with the Orlando Magic. With the latter, he was promoted to interim head coach in 2015 after Orlando dismissed Jacque Vaughn.
Upon joining the Hornets in 2018, Borrego became the first Hispanic full-time head coach in NBA history.