Wed May 28 19:19:38 2008

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Hornets give Scott contract extension

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New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - The New Orleans Hornets agreed with head coach Byron Scott on a contract extension Wednesday. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not revealed, but the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports it's a two-year deal estimated at $6 million annually.

Scott, who was named the NBA Coach of the Year, helped the club to a 56-26 record in 2007-08, the best mark in the 20-year history of the franchise. New Orleans finished atop the Southwest Division, eventually advancing to the Western Conference semifinals before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7.

"I am very happy to sign an extension to stay here in New Orleans with the Hornets," Scott said. "We, as a team, are a piece of the community of New Orleans. We are really growing into something special and there is no place I would rather be."

Under Scott's watch this past season, the Hornets won a franchise-best 26 road games and finished with the second-best record in the West next to the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans' 12-2 mark in January also earned him NBA Coach of the Month honors.

"We are all very happy that we were able to sign Byron to an extension, it was a fair deal on all sides," noted general manager Jeff Bower. "Byron has done an excellent job as coach, growing our players and we feel that we have the best coach for our players and team."

The 47-year-old three-time NBA champion is 151-177 in four seasons as Hornets head coach, and is 300-316 over eight seasons with New Jersey and New Orleans.