In an unsurprising move today, Kim Hughes has been fired as interim coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, the team announced. Missing the postseason for the 15th time in 17 years, what else did you expect? But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just like the Knicks’ adding Mike D’Antoni and the Nets apparently offering Coach K unprecedented money, the Clippers have a chance now to bring on a coach that can attract a top-level free agent to play alongside a very promising nucleus of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Blake Griffin. And after finishing with fewer than 30 wins for the third consecutive year, they need all the help they can get.

“We think our situation is extremely attractive, both from the standpoint of the talented and popular core of players who are already under contract, as well as the salary cap flexibility we have created for this summer,” stated Clippers’ President Andy Roeser. “Los Angeles is a great city, we have total support from our ownership, our facilities are state of the art and we are blessed with a tremendous fan base.”

And according to the Clippers, a search for a new coach has already begun. While there are no leading candidates, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Dallas assistant Dwane Casey has emerged as the top candidate for the job. The Clippers aren’t ready to go there:

In order to maintain the ability to take advantage of the widest sample of available and quality coaches, there will be no stated completion timetable. When and if it is deemed appropriate, the Clippers’ Communications Department will issue official progress updates. Any speculative information concerning the search which appears in the news media or emanates in a form not directly attributed to the Los Angeles Clippers should not be considered valid or reliable.

What do you think? Who should the Clippers hire as their next coach?

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