Clippers Extend Head Coach Doc Rivers

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Despite a disappointing season, the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday announced that the team has given veteran head coach Doc Rivers an extension.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rivers has spent five seasons with the Clippers after being traded from the Boston Celtics in 2013. During that time, he has compiled a 259-151 regular-season record.

Rivers was entering the last year of a five-year, $50 million deal he signed back in August 2014.

This was the first season since 2007-08 that Rivers did not make the playoffs, primarily due to the loss of point guard Chris Paul last summer to the Houston Rockets and forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons midway through the season.

Despite the loss of those two stars, the Clippers finished with a 42-40 record and were in playoff contention late into the season, finishing five games out of the eight spot.

"Doc is one of the top coaches in the NBA, coming off one of his finest seasons since joining the Clippers," Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer said in a statement. "We trust Doc to lead a competitive, tough, hard-working team while upholding a culture of accountability expected to resonate throughout the organization."

Rivers' first order of business will be the upcoming draft, in which Clippers have the 12th and 13th picks.

"We are coming off a year where our team battled through many challenges and much adversity, proving deep talent and even greater potential. I am looking forward to getting back to work on the court to develop our players and compete with the NBA's elite."

Rivers is coming off his nineteenth season as a head coach, with a regular-season record of 846-624. Prior to joining the Clippers, Rivers spent nine seasons with the Celtics, leading them to an NBA Title in 2008. He started his head coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999, spending four full seasons there before being fired 12 games into the 2003-04 season.

Prior to coaching, he played 13 seasons in the NBA.