Los Angeles Clippers Fire Coach Vinny Del Negro

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Clippers have enjoyed their greatest successes with Vinny Del Negro as head coach. It wasn't enough.

The Clippers have fired Del Negro, whose .557 winning percentage is the best since the franchise moved from Buffalo to San Diego in 1978. The team went 128-102 in three years under Del Negro and reached the playoffs the last two seasons.

This season, the Clippers won a franchise-record 56 games, had a 17-game winning streak and won the club's first Pacific Division title before losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference quarterfinals.

The only other coach to lead the franchise to consecutive winning seasons was Jack Ramsey with the Buffalo Braves from 1973-74 through 1975-76. Del Negro is the only coach in club history to post a .600 winning percentage in a season, doing it in his last two years.

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