Clippers Will Announce Today That Shue to Return as Coach

Gene Shue, who directed the Clippers to the worst record in the National Basketball Assn., 17-65, in his first season as coach, will be retained for the 1988-89 season, sources close to the club said.

The official announcement will be made at a press conference today at the Sports Arena.

Despite their poor record, the Clippers won five more games than they did in 1986-87, although that slight improvement left them with the second-worst mark in franchise history.

Owner Donald T. Sterling said last month that the Clippers had to show progress in the final month of the 1987-88 season for Shue to keep his job.

Club officials decided, however, to stay with Shue during a season-ending evaluation meeting Monday at the West Los Angeles law office of club President Alan Rothenberg.

Shue said he expected all along that he would return next season.

“I had been given an indication before that,” Shue said. “It wasn’t any big deal.”

Shue is busy preparing for the June draft, in which the Clippers will have two of the first seven picks.

The Clippers must also decide whether to sign their seven free agents: guards Mike Woodson, Larry Drew, Quintin Dailey and Steve Burtt, and forwards Earl Cureton, Eric White and Claude Gregory.