Charlotte, NC – Coming off the worst season in NBA history, and less than three weeks removed from losing a chance to pick No. 1 in the draft, the Charlotte Bobcats have landed a new head coach.
Mike Dunlap, the top assistant under Steve Lavin at St. John's, accepted the job after being offered it Monday night, the school has confirmed.
"The Johnnies basketball family is ecstatic for coach Dunlap's opportunity. Mike's selection as the Charlotte Bobcats' head coach is a well-deserved honor. To make the unprecedented jump from college assistant to NBA head coach is testament to both Mike's abilities as a teacher and our basketball program's marked improvement over the past 27 months," said St. John's head coach Steve Lavin.
Dunlap will replace Paul Silas, who lost his position in April after the team lost its last 23 games of the season to go 7-59 for a .106 winning percentage, the worst in league history.
Despite that dubious distinction, the Bobcats will pick No. 2 next week after the Hornets won the NBA Draft Lottery last month.
Dunlap coached from the bench this past season while Lavin recovered from surgery for prostate cancer. He has NBA experience, having served two years under Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl.
Dunlap was also an assistant at Arizona (2008-09) and Oregon (2009-10).
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