New Orleans Pelicans: Damian Lillard endorses potential coaching candidate

New Orleans Pelicans coaching candidates: David Vanterpool endorsed by Damian Lillard

David Vanterpool’s Credentials

Aside from being Damian Lillard’s favorite coach, Vanterpool has an intriguing set of credentials that will eventually land him a head coaching job somewhere, possibly with the Pelicans.

Vanterpool has played and coached just about everywhere, doing stints as a player in Canada, China and eventually Italy. He’s won everywhere he’s been, taking home five championships for various teams.

He coached in Russia before becoming the director of player personnel for the OKC Thunder under Sam Presti. The OKC Thunder have been one of the best teams in the NBA at identifying and developing talent and Vanterpool definitely played a role.

He was then hired as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, where he coached for seven years before finally being made associate head coach of the Timberwolves in 2019.

Vanterpool draws rave reviews from just about every player he’s coached, including Lillard and CJ McCollum. He was put in charge of player development and Damian Lillard credits Vanterpool with helping him become a star.

Vanterpool is primarily known as a defensive coach and was tasked with improving Minnesota’s defense, which he did.

What I like about Vanterpool is that he has had to grind for everything he’s gotten, whether it was trying to crack a rotation in the NBA, to playing overseas, to working his way through the coaching ranks.

He is known as a coach who uses analytics to drive his schemes, but he is also a gym rat who likes to put in the hours.

Vanterpool has the credentials and experience to be a head coach but does he fit with the New Orleans Pelicans?