The Pelicans' Steve Hetzel realization is giving fans a real reason to be excited

Another domino has fallen in the New Orleans Pelicans' coaching search: according to The Athletic's Will Guillory, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel has interviewed for the head coaching vacancy. Hetzel's name first appeared as a candidate for the New Orleans opening in Sunday's edition of The Stein Line.

He is now the third candidate to have a confirmed interview with the front office for the vacancy, after Rajon Rondo and Darvin Ham, according to Rod Walker. Fans should be thrilled that New Orleans is viewing Hetzel as a serious candidate, as his resume speaks for itself.

Hetzel has been in the NBA coaching world for nearly 20 years, beginning his career in the San Antonio Spurs video room under Gregg Popovich. The Spurs video team has produced a number of elite coaches, including Mike Budenholzer, Will Hardy, and James Borrego, who all started there. After moving on from the Spurs, he earned his first assistant coaching role with the Detroit Pistons in 2009, when the team was led by current Pelicans President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. 

In 2013, he became head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, and after one year there, he joined Charlotte’s coaching staff under Steve Clifford. He remained with the Hornets for four years before following Clifford to Orlando in 2018. After Clifford was dismissed in 2021, Hetzel moved to Portland, where he spent three seasons. Since 2024, he's been with Brooklyn under Jordi Fernandez, where he and the rest of the Nets assistant coaching staff recently received multi-year extensions.

Although Hetzel may not be a name fans are overly familiar with, they should start getting to know him.

Why Hetzel could be the perfect coach for the Pelicans

With Hetzel, there is a ton for Pelicans fans to be excited about, but the biggest thing is the track record he's built as a player development specialist. With two bright young rookies in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, having someone like Hetzel around to help guide them could alter the Pelicans' future. He uses his background as a video room member to connect with young talent and guide them toward maximizing their potential. Hetzel has been known to use film to show the exact situations where certain reads or decisions are needed, helping foster a better understanding.

A testament to Hetzel's ability to connect with young players comes from his extensive experience coaching at Summer League. During his time under Steve Clifford in Orlando, he had the opportunity to lead the Magic's summer league squad, and he had the same chance in Portland. In 2022, he even led the Trail Blazers to a Summer League Championship. Most recently, he coached the Nets' young group in Vegas for the past two years.

When the Nets selected five rookies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, many people in the media and across social media mocked the franchise. But with a developmental wizard like Hetzel as the team's top assistant, it makes sense why they were so confident in investing in that much young talent.

On top of developing young talent, the Brooklyn Nets have done an excellent job of developing while still building winning habits. Sure, the Nets' 20-62 record suggests this past season was filled with tanking. But when watching Brooklyn, it was clear that they had a different level of competitiveness than other teams at the bottom of the standings.

In my eyes, Hetzel checks too many boxes not to be the Pelicans' leading candidate for this opening. He is a disciple of Gregg Popovich, has spent time with one of the league's rising coaches in Jordi Fernandez, has a strong track record of working with young talent, and can bring a win-now mentality. While it's important for New Orleans to have a long, wide coaching search, it feels like they may have found their guy after just three interviews in Steve Hetzel.

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