Clippers Ax Coach Chris Ford

February 3, 2000 / 8:49 PM EST / CBS/AP

Chris Ford was fired as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, following humiliating losses to Golden State and Phoenix by a total of 77 points.

Ford was in the second year of a three-year contract with the Clippers, who are 11-34 record with 16 losses in their last 18 games.

The 51-year-old Ford was replaced by assistant Jim Todd, who will coach the team on an interim basis starting Saturday night when the Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks.

"Chris is a good person and his efforts should be acknowledged," said Elgin Baylor, the team's vice president of basketball operations. "But it has simply reached the point where the gap between the actual results and where we think we should be based on our talent level is just too wide."

Ford was hired in January 1999 shortly before the start of the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. The team went 9-41, but had high hopes before this season based on a nucleus of several talented young players led by Lamar Odom, the fourth pick in last summer's draft.

But things haven't worked out.

"This is pretty bad," Ford said after a 114-68 loss to the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday night. "Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't help. If you have to get mad, you should take it out on the opposition."

Starting point guard Eric Murdock called the defeat "embarrassing," and a night earlier, following a 107-76 loss to the lowly Warriors at home, several players said the team was "unprepared."

The 47-year-old Todd coached the Clippers to two wins in as many games in December when Ford was unable to coach because of back spasms.

"Jim did a good job earlier this year," Baylor said. "There are no guarantees, but if he does well and the team responds, it would certainly make him a viable candidate for long-term consideration."

Ford previously coached the Boston Celtics for five seasons and the Milwaukee Bucks for two following a 10-year playing career.