The New Orleans Pelicans have named Willie Green the team’s new head coach, it was announced today by Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. Green becomes the eighth head coach in franchise history.
“After an extensive and collaborative search, Willie stood out among an impressive group of candidates as the best person to lead our team moving forward,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “We are very happy to welcome Willie as our new head coach and we look forward to working with him to guide our team on the court as we work towards bringing a championship to New Orleans.”
Green joins the Pelicans after spending the previous two seasons (2019-21) as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. As a part of head coach Monty Williams’ staff, Green helped guide the 2021 Western Conference Champions to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. As the Suns’ defensive coordinator, Phoenix finished the regular season with the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating. He also served as the Phoenix’s head coach for NBA Summer League in 2019, leading the Suns to a 3-1 record in Las Vegas.
