Chaney Is Still Awaiting Word From Clippers

In the six weeks since the regular season ended in the National Basketball Assn., the Clippers haven’t decided whether Don Chaney will be the coach or will simply be shown the door. Chaney finished the season as interim coach after Jim Lynam was fired March 6.

There is no indication when a decision will be made, but the Clippers already have missed their deadline by more than a month. In early April, President Alan Rothenberg and General Manager Carl Scheer said that Chaney either would be hired or released within two weeks.

Three weeks ago, Rothenberg said that Chaney was the leading candidate and soon would be signed “unless Don Nelson (coach of the Milwaukee Bucks) comes to our doorstep.”

Since then, however, the situation has changed. Contract negotiations between the Clippers and Chaney’s agent, Larry Fleisher, have broken down, and now the Clippers say they will interview other candidates.

“Don Chaney is still a candidate,” Rothenberg said last week. “I don’t know if you can say leading candidate. We feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to check out other people who might be available.”

Said Scheer: “I’m not going to give you a timetable like before. We don’t have to get a coach, theoretically, until the start of training camp.”

It is understood that Chaney could have signed two weeks ago if he had been willing to settle for the Clippers’ offer of a one-year, $75,000 contract. That would have made Chaney the NBA’s lowest-paid coach, behind even Golden State’s John Bach, who made $90,000 this season. Some NBA assistants make more than $75,000.

Chaney, who replaced Lynam for the Clippers’ final 21 games, was an assistant to Scotty Robertson in Detroit for three seasons and was Lynam’s top assistant the last two. He turned down the $75,000 offer, came back with a counter-offer, and negotiations went on from there, although they are stalled at the moment.

“What I’ve been hearing (from the Clippers) throughout the negotiations is that there are other guys out there who would take their offer ($75,000),” Chaney said. “I’ve gone down on my asking (price) tremendously, almost to the point where it’s embarrassing. The only reason I’ve done this is because I want the job so badly.

“We (he and Fleisher) have tried everything,” Chaney said. “Incentive clauses. Bonuses. We even decided to settle on a one-year (contract), which most coaches wouldn’t, but it hasn’t worked out yet.

“I think there are a lot of things (involved) away from the monetary end of it that I don’t want to get into. Right now, I’m a little upset and frustrated about the whole thing. They should make a decision, either way.”

Said Rothenberg, when asked if the Clippers believe they can sign Chaney for less than other coaches because he lacks experience: “Obviously, a neophyte like Don Chaney doesn’t command a big contract. He doesn’t have a great bargaining position. (But) I still think Don is a wonderful prospect. The team responded under him.”

One source close to the situation said after the season that, despite Scheer’s two-week time limit, a decision on a coach would not be made until after the draft lottery, which was held May 12.

The thinking was that, if the Clippers were to land Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing in the lottery, potential coaches would line up outside the Clippers’ office.

The Clippers missed on Ewing, but since they drew the third pick and will probably draft either Oklahoma power forward Wayman Tisdale or 7-foot Creighton center Benoit Benjamin, there apparently has been interest from other coaches.

“Every day, someone lets you know that this coach or that coach is available,” Rothenberg said. “You owe it to yourself and your team to call up those people and see if there’s interest. You want to get the best coach that is available.”

Chaney said he would be the best coach for the Clippers. They lost their first five games under his direction, then went 9-7 the rest of the season. Clipper players have shown support for Chaney. Team captain Norm Nixon has said he will not test the free-agent market if Chaney is re-hired.

“I want to coach this team,” Chaney said. “It’s frustrating because the longer the negotiations take, the worse it gets for me. The coaching jobs around the league are diminishing and there aren’t that many around to begin with.”

Chaney said he will not seek another job until his fate with the Clippers is determined.