May 292012
Harry How/NBAE/Getty ImagesVinny Del Negro: Picked up for Season 3, 82 episodes.
The Clippers never envisioned that Vinny Del Negro would lead the team out of its historic doldrums into the conference semifinals. When Del Negro was hired in the summer of 2010, he seemed like a moderating force, an affable figure who could disinfect an organization that had grown somewhat toxic following the firing of Mike Dunleavy.
The Clippers knew they weren’t going to contend for a while, and Del Negro had an offset in the first year of his deal, which meant Del Negro’s former employers, the Chicago Bulls, would pick up much of his salary.