In news this morning reported by Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski, The LA Clippers have informed coach Vinny Del Negro that he will not be returning after 3 seasons with the club. After months of speculation surrounding his job’s stability, the team finally informed Del Negro of their intention to not renew his contract following the team’s disappointing first round exit of the 2013 Playoffs.

Vice President of basketball operations Gary Sacks had this to say of Del Negro:

“We would like to thank Vinny for everything he did during his three years with the organization. Vinny helped this team win a Pacific Division title and we greatly appreciate all that he and his staff helped us accomplish. This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward.”

Some have questioned the move considering Del Negro guided the Clippers to their most successful season in franchise history including their first 50 win year, a 17 game win streak, a 16-0 line in December, and their first ever Pacific Division title ever. One has to wonder if the playing group had lost their respect and desire to play for Vinny Del Negro with the rise of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin being the team’s main focus moving forward.

There is no word as to what the Clippers have planned in regards to a replacement, but the rumors are sure to escalate as time goes by. Byron Scott has been mentioned as a possible candidate considering his close relationship with Chris Paul. We’ll keep you updated.

Nick C.