Huggins Says No to Clipper Coaching Job

Cincinnati’s Bob Huggins has never hidden his desire to coach in the NBA. But when it came time for him to put up or shut up, Huggins decided to pass again and turned down the Clippers’ four-year, $8-million offer Monday night.

“[Coaching in the NBA is] something that I think every coach dreams about doing at some point in time,” Huggins told WCPO--TV, a Cincinnati television station. “Coaching the greatest players in the world in a market that is one of the top markets in the world. I think you’re foolish not to listen, and I listened.”

Huggins listened so much, the Clippers believed they would still get a deal done as late as Monday afternoon.

Huggins originally met with Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, and Andy Roeser, executive vice president, last Friday and told them he liked their offer but needed to think about it.

Huggins then met with Cincinnati Athletic Director Bob Goin on Saturday and waffled on his decision for 48 hours. Monday night, Huggins told the Clippers the disappointing news.

“We received a call from Coach Huggins Monday evening, notifying us of his latest position,” said a statement released by the Clippers. “We wish him well.”

Huggins, 47, said he made up his mind Monday while on a recruiting trip with Cincinnati assistant Mick Cronin to visit Kelvin Torbert of Flint, Mich. According to sources, the Clippers tried to contact Huggins throughout the day but kept getting reasons why he would stay at Cincinnati.

“I took a lot of things into consideration and I think the thing for me to do at this point in time is to stay here and continue what we started,” Huggins said.

So that leaves the Clippers basically back at stage one. The franchise has been without a permanent head coach since Chris Ford was fired on Feb. 3. Jim Todd held the title as interim coach until he was told in May that he was no longer a candidate for the job.

The one constant throughout the Clippers’ search has been the confusing relationship with former Atlanta Hawk and Cleveland Cavalier coach Mike Fratello. One month into the playoffs, Fratello used his position as a television broadcaster to say he had withdrawn his name from contention for the job.

Then, like Huggins, Fratello thought again about the position after the Clippers obtained high school phenom Darius Miles, Missouri point guard Keyon Dooling, DePaul sophomore Quentin Richardson and former Duke standout Corey Maggette, on draft day.

With versatile Lamar Odom already in the fold, along with center Michael Olowokandi and swingman Tyrone Nesby, both Huggins and Fratello liked the idea of coaching a young team under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which basically locks first-round picks to a team for at least five seasons.

As the Clippers continued to take their time, Fratello pulled out again last week when it seemed the team was ready to make Huggins an offer.

But now that Huggins has rejected the Clippers, does Fratello want to go for the job for a third time?

Former Detroit Piston coach and current Atlanta Hawk assistant Alvin Gentry is a candidate along with current Denver assistant John Lucas, as well as current Clipper assistant Dennis Johnson.

Not having a coach at least gives the Clippers something to do for the start of today’s free-agency signing period. Because with 14 players already on the roster for training camp, including 12 players with guaranteed contracts, the Clippers are not likely to pull off a sign-and-trade deal that would include either one of their own free agents, power forward Maurice Taylor and shooting guard Derek Anderson.

Both players are in the second tier of free agents, who are not going to see the contracts they desire unless they get help from the Clippers.

Orlando, Detroit and New York have been the three most active teams looking at Taylor but they are seeking to sign him under the league’s midlevel contract exemption.

The same holds true with Anderson, who has been courted by Denver, San Antonio, Miami and Charlotte. But unless the Clippers can get something in return that they can not turn down, don’t look for Taylor or Anderson to be involved in sign-and-trade deals.