The Los Angeles Clippers Friday announced that they have hired long-time NBA coach Bob Ociepka to serve as an assistant coach on Vinny Del Negro’s staff for the 2012-13 season.
Ociepka, 63, has worked in the NBA for 22 years and brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Clippers sideline. The Chicago native returns to Los Angeles for his second stint with the Clippers after serving as an assistant coach from 1993-96 under Bob Weiss and Bill Fitch. Ociepka was an assistant coach for Del Negro with the Chicago Bulls from 2008-10.
For the past two seasons, Ociepka was an assistant coach on the staff of Nate McMillan and Kaleb Canales in Portland. In his 22 year NBA coaching career, Ociepka has worked for a total of nine teams, also spending time with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-08), Milwaukee Bucks (2003-04 – 2005-06), Detroit Pistons (1998-99, 2001-03), Cleveland Cavaliers (1999-2001), Philadelphia 76ers (1996-97) and Indiana Pacers (1989-90 – 1992-93).
Ociepka began his NBA career working as a part-time volunteer scout for the Detroit Pistons in the 1980’s and also worked as an advance scout for the Orlando Magic during the 1997-98 season.
One of the most decorated prep coaches in Chicago history, Ociepka was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame on May 4, 2000 for his success at Gordon Tech and York High Schools. He played basketball in college at Quincy College in Illinois and is the author of two books on the game of basketball, “Basketball Playbook: Plays from the Pros,” published in 1995 and “Basketball Playbook 2: More Plays from the Pros,” published in 2001.
