New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of a First Time Head Coach

The New Orleans Pelicans have fired Alvin Gentry and have a lot to consider in a new head coach.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a young team with a freshly fired coach, so the rumors are already flying.

Alvin Gentry has been officially let go by the Pels today, so  they’ll have little time to choose a new path. With the NBA Draft Lottery just a few days away, the Pelicans better have a plan.

New Orleans will have their choice of coaches, as the Pelicans job has to be one of the most coveted in all of basketball.

So should the Pels hire an experienced, retread coach who has done it before, or should they go with a fresh voice and give someone their first chance as a head coach?

There are definitely pros and cons to hiring a first time head coach when it comes to the roster, the X’s and O’s and rookie sensation Zion Willliamson.

The Roster

Pro: We wrote that the New Orleans Pelicans need their own Brad Stevens, and if they hire a first time head coach, they’ll have their chance. A young, new head coach will have a chance to put his/her stamp on the team and grow with this young roster, as has happened with Stevens in Boston. When a young coach struggles with his young team, then finds success, it builds a bond and trust that can be a foundation of the franchise. A first time head coach is less likely to butt heads with the front office, which will allow David Griffin to do his job and the coach to do theirs. If Griffin gets the right person, he can watch this team improve and grow together.

Con: The problem with a first time coach is that they have no track record of success to fall back on when things go south. If the San Antonio Spurs have a few bad weeks, Popovich isn’t suddenly going to get fired because he has a long record of getting the job done. He gets a long leash. A new coach? Not so much. New coaches can lose the team quickly because there is no history, only the present and if that is not going well, that’s all there is to go on. With a young roster there is an argument to bring in an experienced voice, who will have respect based on what he has already done.