Clippers Coach Lynam Fired; Asst. Don Chaney to Take Over

The Los Angeles Clippers today fired head coach Jim Lynam and named Don Chaney, an assistant coach and former National Basketball Assn. star with the Boston Celtics, to replace him.

Lynam, 43, has been criticized for preferring the slowdown, tactical style of play as opposed to the running game.

Club officials said Chaney, 38, who starred at the University of Houston before playing 12 years in the NBA with the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, will take over the team at tonight’s game at the Sports Arena against Cleveland.

The Clippers have a 22-39 record so far this season, fifth place in the Pacific Division and 21 games behind their rival Lakers.

The Clippers, playing in San Diego, were 30-52 last season in Lynam’s first year as a head coach. The team moved to Los Angeles this season and has failed to draw a following playing across town from the Lakers, one of the NBA’s most successful franchises.

Only last week, Clippers general manager Carl Scheer said publicly that a coaching change wouldn’t be made until the end of the current season, if a change was to be made at all. At the begining of the season he called Lynam one of the NBA’s best young coaches.