The Charlotte Hornets have come to a decision on their next head coach. Spurs assistant, James Borrego. Borrego has had limited experience as head coach. His last stint as head coach was on an interim basis after the Magic fired Jacque Vaughn, during the 2014-15 season. During his tenure the team held a 10-20 record and the Magic were already a floundering team.
Now the Hornets will look to improve on their disappointing season with a coaching change and hope to get the team back into the playoffs led by Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Borrego learned a lot about being a coach as a video coordinator,
“I learned a tremendous amount,” Borrego said. “I was so fortunate to even get a few minutes with him my first year, and he didn’t even know my name. But as the year went along, we spent more time in the film room together, just Pop and I one-on-one watching film. I would say nothing. He would watch. And slowly but surely, he’d begin to ask me questions. We’d talk basketball. Our relationship just continued to grow. He put me in great positions to grow as a coach, as a basketball individual.”
The Spurs reached the playoffs in every season of Borrego’s seven-year San Antonio tenure. Although he began his time with the Spurs as an assistant video coordinator, he finished as an assistant coach.
Borrego also served as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic. Hopefully his experience working with Gregg Poppovich and the Spurs will carry over to the Charlotte Hornets.