The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team that competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are based in New Orleans, Louisiana and play their home games at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans were established in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, but rebranded to the Pelicans in 2013. As of October 2023, the head coach of the Pelicans is Willie Green.
Brief History of the Pelicans Franchise
The Pelicans franchise began play in the 2002-03 NBA season as the New Orleans Hornets. They were previously known as the Charlotte Hornets from 1988-2002, but relocated to New Orleans in 2002 when the Charlotte Bobcats were established as an expansion team.
Some key moments in Pelicans history:
- 2002 – The Hornets relocate from Charlotte to New Orleans and play their first season as the New Orleans Hornets.
- 2005 – The Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons due to Hurricane Katrina.
- 2007 – The Hornets return to New Orleans full-time.
- 2012 – Tom Benson buys the Hornets franchise.
- 2013 – The franchise is rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans.
- 2015 – The Pelicans acquire All-Star Anthony Davis in a draft day trade.
- 2018 – The Pelicans sweep the 3rd seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs behind Anthony Davis.
- 2019 – Anthony Davis requests a trade and is eventually dealt to the Lakers.
Overall, the Pelicans have yet to win a division title or NBA championship since relocating to New Orleans. Their regular season record is 649-737 over 21 seasons. They have qualified for the playoffs 7 times, advancing past the first round twice.
Pelicans Head Coaches
Here is the complete list of head coaches in Pelicans history:
Coach | Seasons | Record |
---|---|---|
Paul Silas | 2002-2003 | 47-35 |
Tim Floyd | 2003-2004 | 41-41 |
Byron Scott | 2004-2009 | 181-213 |
Jeff Bower | 2009-2010 | 34-39 |
Monty Williams | 2010-2015 | 173-221 |
Alvin Gentry | 2015-2020 | 175-225 |
Stan Van Gundy | 2020-2021 | 31-41 |
Willie Green | 2021-Present | 36-46 (through Oct 2023) |
As shown, the Pelicans have had 8 head coaches in their 21 season history in New Orleans. Alvin Gentry coached the most games with 400. Byron Scott and Monty Williams each coached 5+ seasons with the franchise. Willie Green is the current coach starting in the 2021-22 season.
Byron Scott
Byron Scott was the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans from 2004 to 2009. He coached them for 5 seasons and compiled a record of 181-213.
Scott took over a struggling Hornets team in 2004 that had gone just 41-41 the previous season. In his first year, Scott improved the team’s record to 18-64. The following year they continued getting better, going 38-44 and making the playoffs as the #6 seed. It was just the second playoff berth for the New Orleans franchise.
In 2007-08, Scott’s Hornets put together a franchise-best 56-26 record. They won their first ever division title and finished second overall in the Western Conference. Scott was named NBA Coach of the Year. In the playoffs, the Hornets defeated Dallas in the first round before losing to San Antonio in 7 games in the conference semifinals.
The Hornets regressed to a 49-33 record in 2008-09 and lost in the first round. After starting the 2009-10 season 3-6, Scott was fired as head coach. His five seasons in New Orleans finished with a record of 181-213 and two playoff appearances.
Monty Williams
Monty Williams served as head coach of the Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons from 2010 to 2015. He took over for Byron Scott and posted a record of 173-221 with New Orleans.
In his first season (2010-11), Williams led the Hornets to a 46-36 record and a playoff berth as the #7 seed. They would lose in the first round to the Lakers. The next three seasons saw the team finish with losing records and miss the playoffs each year.
In Williams’ final season (2014-15), the team rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans and improved to a 45-37 record led by breakout star Anthony Davis. They qualified for the playoffs as the #8 seed but were swept by the Warriors in the first round. Shortly after, Williams was let go as head coach.
Some highlights of Williams’ tenure include the playoff berth in 2011, acquiring Anthony Davis with the #1 pick in 2012, and leading the franchise rebrand in 2013. But he wasn’t able to get the Pelicans back to the postseason consistently. Still, Williams helped guide the transition from the Hornets to Pelicans era.
Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry was the head coach of the Pelicans from 2015 to 2020, taking over after the firing of Monty Williams. He is the longest tenured coach in franchise history, having coached 400 total games with a record of 175-225.
Gentry’s first season (2015-16) saw the Pelicans finish with a 30-52 record as they dealt with injuries to star Anthony Davis. The next two seasons saw minor improvements at 34-48 and 35-47 as the team continued missing the playoffs.
In 2018-19, Gentry’s fourth year, the Pelicans finally broke through. Led by Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, they went 48-34 and made the playoffs as the #6 seed. They proceeded to sweep the #3 seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, marking the first playoff series victory since the franchise relocated to New Orleans. However, they lost to the Warriors in the next round.
The 2019-20 season was filled with turmoil as Anthony Davis demanded a trade. He was eventually dealt to the Lakers midseason. The Pelicans struggled after the trade and finished just 30-42, leading to Gentry’s firing in August 2020.
Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy was hired as the new head coach of the Pelicans in October 2020. He came in with over a decade of NBA coaching experience, having previously coached the Heat and Magic.
Unfortunately, Van Gundy’s lone season in New Orleans was a disappointment. The team finished 31-41, plagued by injuries to key players like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
In July 2021, the Pelicans fired Van Gundy after just one year. His tenure was known for trying to instill better defensive habits, but the team still finished 22nd in points allowed. Offensively they lacked spacing and shooting, ranking 25th in three point percentage.
While Van Gundy came in with a strong reputation, his roster and system were not an ideal fit in New Orleans. The 31-41 record in 2020-21 marked the first losing season in Van Gundy’s coaching career. But it would be his only one with the Pelicans.
Willie Green
After moving on from Stan Van Gundy, the Pelicans hired Willie Green in July 2021 to be their next head coach. Green came over from the Phoenix Suns, where he had been an assistant coach for the past two seasons and helped guide them to the NBA Finals in 2021.
In his first year with a young Pelicans squad, Green led the team to a 36-46 record in the 2021-22 season. They narrowly missed out on qualifying for the play-in tournament.
Some positives from Green’s first season:
- Finished the season strong with a 9-2 run
- Saw improvement from young players like Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado
- Fostered positive culture and chemistry
Green has received praise for his leadership style and communication skills with this Pelicans roster. There is optimism he can help mold the team’s wealth of young talent.
Heading into the 2022-23 season, Green looks to lead a healthier Pelicans team back to the postseason for the first time since 2018. His career record as a head coach currently stands at 36-46 over one season in New Orleans. At just 41 years old, Green has an opportunity to grow alongside this core group of players and establish himself as the long-term leader of the Pelicans.
Conclusion
In summary, there have been 8 head coaches in New Orleans Pelicans history. The current coach is Willie Green, who is entering his second season after going 36-46 in his first year. Green took over for Stan Van Gundy, who lasted just one disappointing 31-41 season.
Alvin Gentry had the longest tenure, coaching 400 total games from 2015 to 2020. Byron Scott and Monty Williams also had substantial stints, coaching 5 seasons each. But the franchise is still seeking its first NBA title since relocating to New Orleans in 2002. With a talented young roster, Willie Green hopes to be the coach who can lead the Pelicans to that elusive championship.