Hornets reach agreement to hire Spurs assistant Borrego as HC

The Charlotte Hornets officially named San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego as their new head coach Thursday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the team signed Borrego to a four-year deal, with a team option for the final season.

"We are thrilled to have James join our franchise," Hornets president and GM Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of player development from his time as a coach in San Antonio, New Orleans and Orlando. ... James is considered one of the NBA's most well-regarded assistant coaches and it's great to have him as part of our team. I look forward to working with him in the years to come."

It was reported Tuesday that Borrego, 40, was finalizing a deal with the Hornets, who fired Steve Clifford in April following five seasons in which the team compiled a 196-214 regular-season record and made two playoff appearances.

Now the NBA's first Hispanic-American full-time head coach, Borrego has spent the past three seasons with the Spurs and had previous stints with the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets. In 2014-15, he got his first shot as a bench boss - albeit on an interim basis - when the Magic fired Jacque Vaughn midseason, and guided the team to a 10-20 record.

Borrego, who also interviewed for the openings in New York and Phoenix, reportedly beat out Boston Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga for the gig. Wojnarowski noted the Hornets had also met with new New York Knicks coach David Fizdale, San Antonio's Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka, and Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool.