When the New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Monty Williams, that coaching job instantly became one of the most highly-coveted in the league, mostly due to the presence of young superstar Anthony Davis on the roster.
Several coaches have been linked to the position, including Jeff Van Gundy, Alvin Gentry, and even John Calipari. The latest coach to have his name brought up in filling the vacancy is Vinny Del Negro.
Adrian Wojnarowsi of Yahoo! Sports broke the news:
Sources: Pelicans interviewed Vinny Del Negro for coaching job https://t.co/yrFvibjTYu via @WojYahooNBA
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) May 29, 2015
Del Negro, currently an analyst on NBA TV, formerly coached the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers, and has had solid success as a coach thus far, making the playoffs in 4 of 5 years, and reaching the Western Conference Semifinals with the Clippers.
Another coach who Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps will likely consider is recently fired Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau, one of the best defensive coaches in the league, was named Coach of the Year in 2011, and won a championship as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
The Pelicans will have several candidates to choose from, as everybody will want to coach the league’s most exciting young player.
