The New Orleans Pelicans will be looking for their third head coach in three years after parting ways with Stan Van Gundy.
The writing was probably on the wall after the Pelicans underperformed, though that was probably more due to a poorly constructed roster than anything Van Gundy did.
But coaches are always the scapegoats, so Van Gundy will be back to his old TV job and David Griffin will get to keep his.
When it comes to replacements, the Pelicans best option might be internal. Teresa Weatherspoon and Fred Vinson have both been mentioned as options and both have had success as assistants, are well-liked and already know the players.
Will the Pelicans go with a fresh vision or a known commodity? Their best bet might be to go with a young but experienced assistant coach who is ready to take over the top job.
I hope they look within, but if not, a young assistant coach would be a good choice.
New Orleans Pelicans: No more re-tread coaches, please
Stan Van Gundy was never a great hire and many of us questioned it right away. While I admire Van Gundy as a person, he just never seemed like the right fit with a team full of young players who might clash with his “old school” style of coaching.
The Pelicans wanted to teach toughness and accountability but it’s clear Stan Van Gundy’s message wasn’t getting it done.
The Pelicans need someone who is more relatable to their young team, which is why two assistant coaching names have surfaced as possible choices.
Charles Lee could get a shot to replace Stan Van Gundy as the Pelicans’ head coach
Charles Lee is one of the hottest names in assistant coaching right now and I’ve seen his name floated around as as possible replacement for Stan Van Gundy.
In search for a replacement, Pelicans are expected to circle back among some candidates from a year ago, including assistants Jacque Vaughn and Ime Udoka (Brooklyn), Charles Lee (Milwaukee) and Jason Kidd (Lakers), sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/sAduFLcEiG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2021
Lee is one of the youngest options at just 36-years-old but he is known as a very smart guy, an effective communicator and guy who will eventually be a star in the head coaching ranks.
His first job was as an assistant at Bucknell but he has also been an assistant for the Atlanta Hawks and is currently an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Lee has impressed everyone he’s been around, should be able to quickly build rapport with the players and has gotten high marks from the head coaches he’s worked with.
He’s been a part of Mike Budenholzer’ staff in both Atlanta and Milwaukee and Budenholzer raves about his intellect and future as a head coach.
Charles Lee would be a worthy gamble, as he could learn and build a long-term relationship with the Pelicans that could finally bring them some stability.
New Orleans Pelicans: Ime Udoka could be Stan Van Gundy’s replacement
Another hot name in the NBA assistant coaching ranks is Ime Udoka, who has been a fast riser and is a guy most people think is going to get a shot at some point.
The Pelicans considered him in their last coaching search, so they are familiar with his body of work, which has grown even more.
Udoka was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers before being hired by the Brooklyn Nets in October of 2020.
Like Lee, he’s a younger option at just age 43 and has never been a head coach. Both Lee and Udoka have another thing in common in that they were both really smart players who got the most out of their limited athleticism.
These are the types of ex-players who end up making good coaches, as they had to be smart and learn the game to succeed.
Udoka is likely to be on the bench of an NBA Finals team this season in Brooklyn and is getting valuable experience working with superstar players.
If the Pelicans choose to look outside of their organization, both Lee and Udoka will likely get an interview and deserve a real shot at the job.