As the LA Clippers prepare to begin a new era this coming season, there will be plenty of changes. A new arena at Intuit Dome will accompany new uniforms, new players and even some new faces on the coaching staff.
We know that one of the new coaches who will be on board the Clippers' ship this season will be Jeff Van Gundy. The former NBA head coach has been on the broadcasting side of the NBA since 2007, when he joined ESPN's broadcast crew.
For 16 of the last 17 years, Van Gundy has been calling games at ESPN, and for many of them alongside Mark Jackson and Mike Breen. Jeff remained at the network from 2007 when he was last coaching until June 2023, when he was let go by ESPN.
For the last year, Van Gundy has been working with the Boston Celtics as a senior advisor to their basketball operations team. The day after Boston earned their 2024 championship, Jeff was officially hired by the Clippers.
Lue confirmed Jeff Van Gundy will be Clippers' defensive coordinator
Van Gundy was already set to join Ty Lue's staff as the lead assistant coach, but now we know the exact role he will be serving in. According to Lue, who spoke at a pre-media day press conference, Jeff is set to become the Clippers' defensive coordinator.
This will certainly be a big addition for LA's staff and what they are trying to accomplish this season. Though he has been away from the coaching side of things for some time, Van Gundy brings quite a bit of coaching knowledge to the Clippers' sideline.
Between the mid-1980s and 2007, Jeff racked up 22 years' worth of experience as both an assistant and head coach. He began as a high school coach in Rochester, New York, before moving on to the college ranks at Providence and Rutgers.
From there, Van Gundy went to the Knicks, eventually becoming head coach for five seasons. He then served in the same position for the Houston Rockets for four seasons after that. Clearly, this is someone who can help level up the Clippers' formula, and ideally get them back to contending in the Western Conference in short order.