Lakers officially hire Byron Scott as head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers' new man at the helm is none other than former Laker guard Byron Scott.

In a press release distributed Monday night, the Lakers announced that they had signed Scott to a multi-year deal, with the official terms undisclosed as per team policy. It's believed that Scott inked a four-year pact worth $17 million.

Scott has 13 years of coaching experience on his resume, amassing a career record of 416-521 (44.4 win percentage) across stops in Cleveland, New Orleans and New Jersey. He was named as the Coach of the Year in 2007-08 and led the Nets to back-to-back Finals appearances in 2003 and 2004.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak touched on the hiring, noting that:

Byron has proven himself at the highest levels of the game as both a player and a coach in his almost 30 years of NBA experience. His leadership skills and track record for success make him the ideal person to lead this franchise forward

Scott, too, was excited:

I know firsthand what it takes to bring a championship to this city, and as someone who both grew up in L.A. and played the majority of my career here, I know how passionate and dedicated our fans are. I will give everything I have to fulfill the championship expectations that our supporters have for us, and that we have for ourselves

Scott has quite a challenge ahead of him, as the Lakers won just 27 contests last season. However, having a rejuvenated (and hopefully healthy) Kobe Bryant will surely help.