Being a young franchise, the New Orleans Pelicans haven’t enjoyed much success in the NBA.
To be fair, the New Orleans Pelicans cannot blame it on their players, as they have had their fair share of star power over the years.
Be it Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, or Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have been blessed with some extremely talented stars.
However, to run a team like a well-oiled machine, the presence of an elite head coach is extremely important. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the NBA experience of their current head coach, Willie Green.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty ImagesWillie Green’s NBA coaching experience
After announcing his retirement as an NBA player, Green joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant/player development coach in 2018.
However, a year later, Green had joined the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach. He lasted two years in Toronto before landing a head coaching job with the Pelicans.
As of now, Green has been the Pelicans’ head coach for four seasons, leading them to an underwhelming 148-180 record during the regular season.
Although the Pelicans have made two postseason appearances under coach Green, each time they faced a first-round exit in the playoffs.
But to be fair, injuries to stars have held back Green from getting out the full potential of the roster. It will be interesting to see if the 2025-26 season will be any different.
Willie Green’s NBA playing career
Before becoming an NBA coach, Green enjoyed a 12-year stint in the league as a shooting guard. Considering he was the 41st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Green spent the majority of his career off the bench.
Although he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, Green spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 9.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game for the team.
Next, he had one-year stints with the New Orleans Hornets [Pelicans] and Atlanta Hawks. But by the time Green left the Hawks, he was already on the decline.
He still had a two-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers before playing one last season as a member of the Orlando Magic.