NBA: Los Angeles Clippers set to appoint Doc Rivers as head coach
The Los Angeles Clippers are to appoint Doc Rivers as their head coach after the Boston Celtics agreed to release him.
Last Updated: 25/06/13 11:05pm
Rivers will join the Clippers after nine seasons with Boston where he amassed a record of 416-305 in the regular season and 59-47 in the post-season, including an NBA championship in 2008.
The 51-year-old, one of only four active NBA coaches to win an NBA title, takes over a Clippers team that finished fourth in the 15-team Western Conference last season but lost in the opening round of the play-offs.
Rivers replaces Vinny Del Negro, who was not given a new contract following the team's early play-off exit, and will also serve as the team's senior vice president of basketball operations.
The Clippers sent a first round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft to the Celtics as compensation for releasing Rivers from his contract, which had three years and $21m remaining.
Before joining the Celtics, Rivers spent just over four seasons as head coach of the Orlando Magic, where he was named NBA coach of the year in his first season when he led a team that was expected to finish last to a play-off berth in 2000.