CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets have fired its head coach James Borrego, Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced Friday.
“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.”
Borrego was in the hot seat after the Hornets lost in the play-in tournament. For the second straight year, the Hornets finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and were demolished in their first postseason game, losing 132-103 to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hornets posted their highest offensive rating in franchise history and finished eighth overall in the NBA, but the defense continued to lag behind. Charlotte was 22nd in defensive rating among the league’s 30 teams.
Back in August of last year, the Hornets signed Borrego to a multi-year contract extension hoping he could turn things around for the team.
“We’re extremely pleased with the job that Coach Borrego and his staff have done in their three years in Charlotte," GM Mitch Kupchak said during that initial contract extension.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FREE PODCASTS:
Locked On is the leading podcast network for local sports and is owned by WCNC Charlotte's parent company TEGNA.
Listen to Locked On here.
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.