Clippers Scratch Fitch

Determined to build a bright new image and a strong new team to move into their shiny new home, the Clippers cut a key link to their dismal past Monday by firing Coach Bill Fitch.

Stay tuned for more cuts.

Fitch, 63, who lasted four years on the job, insisted after Saturday night’s season finale that he didn’t expect to be fired even though his team wound up 17-65. But when he was summoned to General Manager Elgin Baylor’s office Monday morning, Fitch found out he had been fooling himself.

Fired along with Fitch were assistant coaches Jim Brewer, Barry Hecker and Rex Kalamian.

“I didn’t expect it,” Fitch said. “I don’t think you ever expect it. I was already into how to correct things and and make them better. We worked our butts off and tried to do the best job we could. Nobody was sorrier that the team had to go through this season than the coaches. We feel badly about it.”

Before Fitch could be fired, the Clippers had to resolve his contract situation. He still had two years left and a total of $4 million coming to him and, according to Fitch, he will get it all.

“They told me that the contract just takes of itself,” he said. “As long as they cross the Ts and dot the I’s and take care of it, that’s all that matters.”

So what now?

Look for owner Donald Sterling, who wants a big name for the Los Angeles market as he prepares to move his team into the Staples Center in the fall of 1999, to first shoot for the moon by going after Chicago Bull Coach Phil Jackson. Others whose names are expected to surface are Seattle SuperSonics Coach George Karl, former Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former Phoenix Sun coach Paul Westphal, who played at USC.

Although he has already been ruled out by the Clippers, former UCLA coach Jim Harrick, now the coach at Rhode Island, seems to have wiggled his way back into contention. Baylor said Monday that it is “a possibility” that Harrick may be a candidate. Harrick declared his intention to stay at Rhode Island last week.

Harrick told the Providence Journal-Bulletin on Sunday night that he hadn’t talked to the Clippers in 18 months.

It might seem unfair to make Fitch the scapegoat for the Clippers’ 1997-98 season considering that free agency (Bo Outlaw), a trade (Brent Barry) and a critical injury (Loy Vaught), took away some of the key personnel he needed to repeat the Clippers’ finish of a year ago when they won 36 games and qualified for the playoffs.

But with the change in arenas looming, Sterling and Baylor weren’t in the mood for excuses. And they weren’t happy with what they perceived as Fitch’s inability to communicate with and motivate his players.

“Our goal was the playoffs,” Baylor said, “and we had a very disappointing season. I’m sure no one will argue with that. From the playoffs and 36 wins to 17 . . . Injuries are part of it, but, even without Loy Vaught, we believe the team should have done better. . . . We didn’t feel we were on the right track and we weren’t sure how we were going to look in the future. . . . We know we will have to do some things to improve the ballclub. And we will.”

Sterling was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Does Fitch feel the injuries and constant turnover in personnel hurt him?

“Sure, it would have been different,” he said. “Everybody has injuries. But when you go from mediocre to half-good and then you lose players like Outlaw and Vaught, it hurts. You have to use fill-ins to take on major roles and they were not ready to do that. We had such great expectations coming out of the playoffs. When we lost people, we let it get us down and we never did get into the swing of things.

“But it’s done. We had total responsibility. The bottom fell out and somebody had to be blamed, so the coach is gone. If we hadn’t worked hard, that would be one thing. But we did and that’s why I feel really bad.”

Asked what qualities he and Sterling were looking for in a coach, Baylor said, “A coach who can communicate and relate to the players, one who emphasizes defense, [a coach who can run] an up-tempo, fast-paced offense. Also someone who is going to demand discipline. I wouldn’t rule anyone out.”

Because Sterling is known to favor someone with local appeal who can draw fans to the new arena, here’s a list of candidates with local connections, who may nor may not be available, interested or even qualified:

* Abdul-Jabbar.

* Harrick.

* Westphal.

* Laker assistant Kurt Rambis.

* Former Laker player and assistant coach Michael Cooper.

* UCLA Coach Steve Lavin.

* Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar.

* Larry Brown.

As for Fitch, he says don’t count him out of future openings.

He started his pro coaching career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1970-71, their first season of existence, and has coached in the NBA in 25 of the last 28 seasons. His overall record is 944 wins (the second highest total in league history behind Lenny Wilkens) and 1,106 losses (the highest total), including 99-229 with the Clippers, and he is the only man in league history to coach in 2,000 games.

He won the NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 1981 and made it to the NBA finals again with the Houston Rockets in 1986. Fitch was twice named NBA coach of the year.

“I will never again take on a team that has to be rebuilt and brought back like this one,” Fitch said. “But I’m sure that some form of basketball will remain in my life until they throw dirt on my face.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CLIPPERS BY THE NUMBERS

17: Number of coaches in franchise history (28 season)

3: Number of Clipper coaches that made playoffs

9: Number of coaches in Los Angeles (14 seasons)

1: Number of Clipper coaches with winning record (Larry Brown)

.336: Winning percentage in Los Angeles

FITCH BY NUMBERS

2,050: Games coached (most in history)

944: Number of victories (third all-time)

1,106: Number of losses (first all-time)

.302: Winning percentage with clippers

1: NBA Championships

A LOOK AT CLIPPER COACHES

Bill Fitch, year-by-year

*--*

Years, Team W-L Pct Fin 70-71, Cle. 15-67 .183 4th 70-71, Cle. 15-67 .183 4th 71-72, Cle. 23-59 .280 4th 72-73, Cle. 32-50 .390 4th 73-74, Cle. 29-53 .354 4th 74-75, Cle. 40-42 .488 3rd 75-76, Cle.* 49-33 .598 1st 76-77, Cle. 43-39 .524 4th 77-78, Cle. 43-39 .524 3rd 78-79, Cle. 30-52 .366 4th 79-80, Bos.* 61-21 .744 1st 80-81, Bos. 62-20 .756 1st 81-82, Bos. 63-19 .768 1st 82-83, Bos. 56-26 .683 2nd 83-84, Hou. 29-52 .354 6th 84-85, Hou. 48-34 .585 2nd 85-86, Hou. 51-31 .622 1st 86-87, Hou. 42-40 .512 3rd 87-88, Hou. 46-36 .561 4th 89-90, N.J. 17-65 .207 6th 90-91, N.J. 26-56 .317 5th 91-92, N.J. 40-42 .489 3rd 94-95, Clip. 17-65 .207 7th 95-96, Clip. 29-53 .354 7th 96-97, Clip. 36-46 .439 5th 97-98, Clip. 17-65 .207 7th Totals 944-1,106 .460

*--*

*--Named coach of the year

PLAYOFFS *--*

Year, Team W-L Pct 75-76, Cle. 6-7 .462 76-77, Cle. 1-2 .333 77-78, Cle. 0-2 .000 79-80, Bos. 5-4 .556 80-81*, Bos. 12-5 .706 81-82, Bos. 7-5 .583 82-83, Bos. 2-5 .286 84-85, Hou. 2-3 .400 85-86, Hou. 13-7 .650 86-87, Hou. 5-5 .500 87-88, Hou. 1-3 .250 91-92, N.J. 1-3 .250 96-97, Clip. 0-3 .000 Totals 55-54 .505

*--*

*--Won NBA championshipCLIPPER FRANCHISE COACHING HISTORY (by winning %)

*--*

Coach W-L Pct Larry Brown 64-53 .547 Mack Calvin 1-1 .500 Jack Ramsay 158-170 .482 Bob MacKinnon 3-4 .429 Mike Schuler 52-75 .409 Joe Mullaney 11-18 .379 Jim Lynam 52-91 .364 Tates Locke 16-30 .348 Gene Shue 105-179 .348 Bill Fitch 99-229 .302 C. Fitzsimmons 27-55 .329 Bob Weiss 27-55 .329 Don Casey 41-85 .325 Paul Silas 78-168 .317 Don Chaney 53-132 .286 John McCarthy 22-59 .272 Dolph Schayes 22-61 .265

*--*

CLIPPER FRANCHISE PLAYOFF COACHING HISTORY

*--*

Coach W-L Pct Jack Ramsay 9-13 .438 Larry Brown 4-6 .400 Bill Fitch 0-3 .000

*--*