Doc Rivers has been one of the few NBA coaches to also hold a front office position the past five seasons. But according to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Rivers will now focus solely on coaching.
Ballmer told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Rivers has been freed of his front office responsibilities and will focus solely on coaching.
"I've owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner's responsibility is -- and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs," Ballmer told ESPN on Friday. "The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn't the case. To be as good as we can be, to be a championship franchise, we need two functioning strong people building teams out beneath them. There needs to be a healthy discussion and debate with two strong, independent minded people.
"There are different relationships that a player needs to have with the coach and the front office," Ballmer said. "Doc put Lawrence in charge of the non-coaching aspects of the front office last year, and he's done a fantastic job. I want each of them to dig in and do what they do best. Lawrence has come on so strong in that role, and that has helped us go down this path."
Rivers has been the Clippers' president of basketball operations since 2013, and he will still have a voice in personnel and organizational matters. Rivers will work with executive vice president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, who will oversee basketball operations.
With Rivers losing his front office role, the Spurs' Gregg Popovich, the Pistons' Stan Van Gundy and the Timberwolves' Tom Thibodeau are the only NBA head coaches that also hold front office roles.
