Jeff Van Gundy Returns to NBA Coaching After Unceremonious ESPN Fire

It only took a year for Jeff Van Gundy to find his way back to a courtside seat.

The former coach-turned-broadcaster had spent the last twelve months relatively quiet as he avoided interviews with the press or taking a different broadcast gig. Turns out, he was conspiring to do what he always wanted to do; coach basketball once again. 

Jeff Van Gundy will return as an assistant coach this coming season with the Los Angeles Clippers.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

VAN GUNDY WAS PART OF THE CELTICS CHAMPIONSHIP LAST NIGHT

The 62-year-old worked behind the scenes this season for the Boston Celtics as a senior consultant to the front office, helping the team go 16-3 in the postseason and dominate throughout the NBA Playoffs as they won their NBA record 18th Championship last night. 

Now, Van Gundy will trade the boardroom for the clipboard as he'll be drawing up X's and O's as the new assistant coach to the Los Angeles Clippers. Both Jeff and current Clippers head coach Ty Lue have a solid relationship, as JVG coached Lu when he was a player on the Houston Rockets in 2004, with Lu repaying the favor and hiring him as a part of the USA Basketball staff. Despite a solid Clippers regular season performance in which they went 51-31, they once again suffered an early exit out of the NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

CLIPPERS WILL LOOK AT VAN GUNDY'S EXPERIENCE TO HELP

Van Gundy last coached in the NBA during his tenure with the Houston Rockets that ended in 2007. Prior to that, he led the New York Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals before the team would lose to the San Antonio Spurs. In 11 total seasons, JVD amassed a 430-318 record with a .500 record of 44-44 in the postseason. 

Clippers fans will be happy to know that Van Gundy is also one to call out the referees if any perceived shenanigans are going down. In 2005, Jeff received the highest NBA fine ever assessed to a coach at $100,000 when he accused the referees of deliberately targeting Rockets center at the time, Yao Ming, with foul calls. Hot seat: any players or referees that may be involved in shady foul calls or even sports betting when playing the Clippers this coming season.

JVD would spend 16 years broadcasting with ESPN and was part of the network's prized three, consisting of himself, Mark Jackson and Mike Breen before the network cut both Van Gundy and Jackson as part of a larger group of talent cuts. 

That may be fine with Van Gundy now as he'll be part of a team in the action, rather than calling the action.