The New Orleans Pelicans have been searching for the franchise's next head coach for what feels like an eternity. It has been over a month since the organization announced an official coaching search, and a ton has happened since then. Reports indicate that James Borrego, who spent 70 games as the team's interim head coach last season, is likely out of the running, and the front office has narrowed its search to three candidates. Multiple reports have mentioned Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, and former Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley as the final three.
With a trio of finalists announced over a week ago, many fans have been wondering why there's been a delay in an official announcement. NBA Insider Marc Stein just gave clarity on the situation. According to Stein, the Pelicans’ front office is willing to give Mosley ample time to decide if he is prepared to coach again after a disappointing year in Orlando or wants to take some time off.
Stein doubled down on early reports from his colleague Jake Fischer, stating that “New Orleans has held a longstanding affinity for former Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.”
The front office's decision to delay the hiring process, sit on their hands, and wait for Mosley is an interesting one. It’s not like he is some championship-winning coach or a coveted name on the market, which makes the obsession with him very odd.
A risky waiting game
Coming off a 26-win season with aspirations to make or at least compete for the playoffs next season is a bold one. It’s even bolder, given that the year prior, the team also failed to reach 30 wins. Sure, there is plenty of offseason left as the playoffs are still underway, and the Pelicans have the assets both in players and picks to improve this roster a good amount. However, having a direction picked out by this time would be nice and give both fans and players some clarity on what things will look like in 2026-27.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Jamahl Mosley and think he could be the type of culture-building coach that could send New Orleans down a strong path. But with a career record of 189-221 as a head coach, coming off back-to-back round one exits makes me wonder why there is such an obsession with him.
If this were someone like Billy Donovan, who has won championships (in college) and has been a head coach in the league for some time, I’d get it. But Mosley isn’t that.
For a new head coach to succeed in year one, the team needs time to build relationships, fill out its staff, and build a style of play. Sure, if they wait another month to hire Mosley, they’ll still have around 4 months or so to do all of that, but the more time, the better. If Mosley remains uncertain about what is next for much longer, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver need to put their foot down and hire one of the other candidates.
While the lengthy process of evaluating all possible candidates is great, the time is now for the Pelicans' front office to select the franchise's next bench boss.
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