Clippers Are About to Put Ford Behind the Wheel

The Clippers, shopping for their seventh coach of the ‘90s, are close to bagging ex-Boston and Milwaukee coach Chris Ford.

Ford, who was fired in August by Milwaukee with one year remaining on his contract, is close to reaching a multiyear deal with the Clippers that reportedly will pay him at least $800,000 a season.

The Clippers denied the report Monday but Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, said last week that the team will name a coach before Friday.

Jim Brewer, an assistant under Bill Fitch with the Clippers the last four years, and Eddie Jordan, who coached the Sacramento Kings for one season but also was fired in August, also interviewed for the position, but Ford’s seven-year NBA head coaching experience has made him the front-runner to become the franchise’s seventh coach this decade.

If Ford is hired, Brewer may return as an assistant because of his familiarity with the players, according to league sources.

When the Clippers, who finished 17-65 last season, began their coaching search, Baylor said the team was looking for a former NBA player with league coaching experience who could relate to today’s players.

In Ford, the Clippers would be getting a coach who fits the first two job requirements, but he doesn’t have a good reputation for developing talent.

Because Michael Olowokandi, the Clippers’ No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, is considered a project by many--but the key to the future of the franchise--it will be important for the team’s next coach to be able to teach as well as coach.

“I hope that the [new Clipper coach] understands that the team drafted a player that does not have much [playing] experience,” said Bill Duffy, Olowokandi’s agent. “Michael is going to need a hands-on coach who is able to communicate. The relationship between him and the coach is going to be important.”

Ford played 10 seasons in the NBA and was a member of Boston’s 1981 championship team coached by Fitch. He served as an assistant under K.C. Jones and Jimmy Rodgers at Boston for seven seasons, which included two NBA championships, before he took over the Celtics in 1990.

With an aging team that featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, Ford led Boston into the second round of the playoffs his first two seasons.

Ford’s Boston stay soured, however, when in 1994 the Celtics failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time in 15 years. Ford was fired by Boston the next year after Orlando knocked the Celtics out the playoffs in the first round.

Milwaukee became Ford’s second NBA coaching stop when the Bucks gave him the duty of turning around a franchise that has not had a winning season since 1990-91.

Ford signed a three-year contract with the Bucks in 1996, but despite having young talented players like Vin Baker (who was traded to Seattle in 1997), Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson, the Bucks failed to make the playoffs the last two seasons.

“Chris Ford has in many respects done a good job,” Buck owner Herb Kohl said in August after firing Ford, who has a 291-283 career record. “But we think in order to maximize the talent that we have, the best thing is to go and find a coach of a nature, of a sort that would ensure that we reach the next level.”

Milwaukee finished 16 games under .500 in Ford’s first season and then only slightly improved to 36-46 last season.

Because the Bucks finished 19 games better than the Clippers last season, that may be satisfactory enough to make Ford the team’s next coach.

Clipper Notes

Only five Clippers showed up for the team’s optional workout session Monday at Carson Veterans’ Sports Center. Although Olowokandi, the team’s 7-foot rookie, will not join the Clippers until Feb. 15 to honor his contract with Kinder Bologna in the Italian League, the Clippers’ other big men did work out.

Lorenzen Wright, Keith Closs and Stojko Vrankovic practiced along with Pooh Richardson and Eric Piatkowski. The only other player who worked out was Brent Barry, a former Clipper who was traded to Miami last season. Barry is an unrestricted free agent.

The other Clipper players under contract who did not show for Monday’s workout were forwards Maurice Taylor, Rodney Rogers and Lamond Murray, and guards James Robinson and Charles Smith. Murray and free agent guard Darrick Martin worked out at UCLA on Monday but Martin said that he plans to be at the Clipper practice session at Carson today.

Wright said that not having a coach is not really a problem because the players still cannot be in contact with coaches until the lockout officially ends, which may be early next week.

“It’s nothing the coaches would be able to do anyway,” said Wright, who has gained seven pounds from last season on his 6-11 frame and now weighs 247. “I’m just looking to the start of training camp.” . . . In two games with Kinder Bologna, Olowokandi is averaging 14 points and nine rebounds in nearly 27 minutes.

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Help Wanted

Teams with worst winning percentages in the ‘90s (excluding Vancouver and Toronto):

1. Dallas

180-476, .274

2. Minnesota

215-441, .328

3. Philadelphia

225-431 .343

4. Denver

230-426, .351

5. CLIPPERS

243-413, .370

6. Sacramento

246-410, .375

7. Washington

247-409, .377

8. Milwaukee

255-401, .389

9. New Jersey

283-373, .431

10. Golden State

294-362, .448

11. Boston

306-350, .466

12. Detroit

323-333, .492