Kerr, Clifford named Coaches of the Month

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Charlotte Hornets bench boss Steve Clifford have been named Coaches of the Month for March.

Kerr led the Warriors to a sterling 15-2 record and managed to keep his team on track in their pursuit of 73 wins. Along the way, crucial decisions by Kerr have helped his team overcome tricky games, such as an early-March meeting with the Atlanta Hawks, a tough rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and their most recent overtime victory versus the Utah Jazz.

The 50-year-old Kerr, who missed half the season recovering from back surgery, becomes the first coach in franchise history to win three Coach of the Month awards.

As for Clifford, his Hornets reeled off a 15-3 stretch - including a seven-game win streak - to firmly lock themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Along the way, Clifford's squad picked up impressive victories over the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.

Atlanta's Mike Budenholzer, Detroit's Stan Van Gundy, Miami's Erik Spoelstra, Oklahoma City's Billy Donovan, San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, and Toronto's Dwane Casey were also nominated.