Bernie Bickerstaff will return to the sidelines as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats for the 2006-07 season to continue his plan of building a winning foundation from within and developing a system that focuses on teamwork, sacrifice and trust.

?I am excited to announce that I will be returning as head coach of the Bobcats for the upcoming season,? said Bickerstaff, who also serves as the team?s general manager. ?In taking the time to think about my decision, I reflected on how proud I am of the progress we have made over the past two seasons and where we are headed in the future.?

The Bobcats won six of their final eight games in 2005-06, including a franchise-best four game winning streak to end the season. The team also posted a 6-3 record in April for the first winning month in franchise history.