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Jeff Van Gundy joins Los Angeles Clippers as Ty Lue’s top assistant
Van Gundy spent the previous 16 years as an ESPN analyst before joining the Celtics' Brad Stevens as a senior consultant in 2023.
After stepping away from NBA coaching 17 years ago, Jeff Van Gundy will join the Los Angeles Clippers as Ty Lue’s lead assistant, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Van Gundy, who joined the Boston Celtics in 2023 as a Senior Consultant, helped the team capture their 18th NBA Championship Monday night. Prior to his singular season with the Celtics, Van Gundy spent 16 years as a television analyst for ESPN.
Widely recognized as one of the most strategic minds in basketball, the 62-year-old has long been a top coaching candidate. For 11 years, Van Gundy coached the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. Between the two franchises, he posted a 430-318 (.575) record, going 44-44 in the postseason. His most notable playoff appearance as a coach came in 1999, when the Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
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After being fired by the Rockets in 2007, Van Gundy took a step back from the league, turning down numerous NBA coaching opportunities. Instead, he stuck to television, quietly focusing his limited on-court efforts on USA Basketball.
It was there, through his work as an assistant and scout for Team USA, that Van Gundy and Lue struck up a strong working relationship, according to Wojnarowski. While Van Gundy had coached Lue for a season with the Houston Rockets in 2004, their time working on Steve Kerr’s national team paved the way for a future partnership.
Following the departure of lead assistant Dan Craig for the Chicago Bulls in May, Lue needed a new right-hand man. Now the championship coach — who just signed a five-year, $70 million contract — will link up with one of the sport’s brightest minds as they look to bring the Clippers their first NBA title.
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