After starting the season 2-10 overall, including losing four games in lopsided fashion, the Pelicans have fired head coach Willie Green.The Pelicans lost Friday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.Chris Haynes with Yahoo Sports broke the news which WDSU has confirmed.Green was hired prior to the 2021-22 season and finishes his career in New Orleans with a 150-190 record and two playoff appearances. A former NBA player and assistant coach, Green started his coaching career 1–12, but he led the Pelicans to a 36–46 record his first year, finishing ninth in the Western Conference and securing a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. The Pelicans would go on to beat the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers en route to their first playoff berth since the 2017–18 season. Green and the Pelicans would ultimately fall to the Phoenix Suns, Green’s former team, in six games in the First Round.“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” stated Executive Vice President Joe Dumars. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”“As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years. This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans.”Green also led the Pelicans to the playoffs in 2024, but the team was swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his tenure in New Orleans, Green’s roster was decimated by injury, especially regarding star players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.Last summer, reports surfaced that team owner Gayle Benson gave new Executive Vice President Joe Dumars a mandate to keep Green, who she had developed a professional affinity for. Dumars publicly denied those reports and said he kept Green because he believed he was the right coach for the job.Associate head coach James Borrego has been named interim head coach. The former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, Borrego has been a candidate for several head coaching position in recent years. He interviewed for the Lakers, Cavaliers and Suns jobs. Last summer the Pelicans blocked Borrego from taking an assistant coaching position with the New York Knicks, leading to speculation that that move may have been made in case the franchise fired Willie Green.The Pelicans play the Warriors Sunday in the Smoothie King Center.
After starting the season 2-10 overall, including losing four games in lopsided fashion, the Pelicans have fired head coach Willie Green.
The Pelicans lost Friday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chris Haynes with Yahoo Sports broke the news which WDSU has confirmed.
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Green was hired prior to the 2021-22 season and finishes his career in New Orleans with a 150-190 record and two playoff appearances. A former NBA player and assistant coach, Green started his coaching career 1–12, but he led the Pelicans to a 36–46 record his first year, finishing ninth in the Western Conference and securing a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. The Pelicans would go on to beat the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers en route to their first playoff berth since the 2017–18 season. Green and the Pelicans would ultimately fall to the Phoenix Suns, Green’s former team, in six games in the First Round.
“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” stated Executive Vice President Joe Dumars. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
“As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years. This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans.”
Green also led the Pelicans to the playoffs in 2024, but the team was swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his tenure in New Orleans, Green’s roster was decimated by injury, especially regarding star players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Last summer, reports surfaced that team owner Gayle Benson gave new Executive Vice President Joe Dumars a mandate to keep Green, who she had developed a professional affinity for. Dumars publicly denied those reports and said he kept Green because he believed he was the right coach for the job.
Associate head coach James Borrego has been named interim head coach. The former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, Borrego has been a candidate for several head coaching position in recent years. He interviewed for the Lakers, Cavaliers and Suns jobs. Last summer the Pelicans blocked Borrego from taking an assistant coaching position with the New York Knicks, leading to speculation that that move may have been made in case the franchise fired Willie Green.
The Pelicans play the Warriors Sunday in the Smoothie King Center.