Dunleavy steps down as Clippers coach, will stay on as GM

LOS ANGELES (AP)

Mike Dunleavy stepped down as the Los Angeles Clippers' head coach Thursday, retaining his job as general manager.

Assistant coach Kim Hughes will replace Dunleavy on an interim basis. Dunleavy has led the Clippers to just one winning season since taking over the star-crossed franchise in 2003.

The Clippers abruptly announced the moves in an afternoon news release that said the decision was voluntary and mutual. Los Angeles has lost five of six heading into Saturday's home game against San Antonio, with another once-promising season in danger of slipping away.

Despite a talented roster including Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon and Marcus Camby, the Clippers are in 12th place in the Western Conference at 21-28.

"I've come to the conclusion that this is the ideal time for me to direct my efforts toward the many personnel opportunities that lie before us, such as the trade market, the draft and the free agent process," Dunleavy said in a statement. "We fully expect to be active and productive on all those fronts."

Dunleavy, who said he had "several conversations" recently with owner Donald Sterling about the Clippers' direction, is the winningest coach in franchise history -- admittedly not a high bar to clear on a team with just two winning seasons in 30 years and only one playoff series victory since moving to Los Angeles in 1984.

Dunleavy is 215-325 in 6 1/2 seasons on the bench, and Los Angeles made the playoffs just once in his first six seasons, reaching the second round in 2006. Hughes, a former ABA and NBA player who has never been a head coach, has been Dunleavy's assistant since the start in Los Angeles.

"It just seems clear that the team needs a fresh voice, and we hope that our players will respond in a positive way," Clippers president Andy Roeser said. "As we approach the trade deadline, the NBA draft and the upcoming free agent period, our team is very well-positioned from a salary cap standpoint. Mike's experienced input will be vitally important as we continue to develop our young talented nucleus and shape our team's future."

Dunleavy's record as a personnel executive is actually fairly solid, which made his failures as the Clippers' coach even more glaring. He replaced Elgin Baylor as the Clippers' top basketball executive before last season, uprooting Baylor from a job he had held since 1986.

Despite adding Rasual Butler and Craig Smith to a well-stocked roster that still should have ample salary cap space to sign a major free agent this summer, the Clippers have struggled even to reach .500 this season.

Perhaps the Clippers Curse had a bit to do with it as well: Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's draft, will miss the entire season after breaking his kneecap in Los Angeles' final preseason game.