{"id":194150,"date":"2026-05-06T06:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T10:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=194150"},"modified":"2026-05-06T04:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T08:15:16","slug":"5-pelicans-coaching-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/06\/5-pelicans-coaching-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking All 5 Pelicans Coaching Candidates By Fit: Who Should Be New Orleans\u2019 Next Coach?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>NEW ORLEANS \u2014 The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pelicans\/#google_vignette\" target=\"_self\">New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> still have a head coaching vacancy, with Joe Dumars electing not to reward interim coach James Borrego. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7254027\/2026\/05\/05\/tom-thibodeau-billy-donovan-nba-coaches-draft-lottery\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According<\/a> to senior NBA insider Sam Amick, they have a list of four candidates that they have narrowed down to. \u201cNew Orleans has been deliberating over finalists Darvin Ham (a Bucks associate head coach under Rivers), Steve Hetzel (Brooklyn assistant), Sean Sweeney (San Antonio associate head coach) and Rajon Rondo (a coaching associate with the Bucks). Mosley has long been believed to be a possible candidate if he became available, but it\u2019s unclear as of yet if he\u2019ll be added to the list.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Ranking All 5 Pelicans Coaching Candidates By Fit: Who Should Be New Orleans\u2019 Next Coach?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBbVnuU9zd\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3000px; aspect-ratio: 3000\/1819;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p>The recently sacked Jamahl Mosley could be another in line for the Pelicans job. So I will rank all five based on fit.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Jamahl Mosley<\/h3>\n<p>The 47-year-old just got sacked after a seven-game series loss against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pistons\/\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Pistons<\/a>. It was one of those series that would have hurt a lot no matter who lost. Still, Mosley deserves responsibility for the Game 6 collapse, when the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/magic\/\" target=\"_self\">Orlando Magic<\/a> scored just 19 points in the second half, the first time that had ever occurred in NBA history. After leading 60\u201338 at halftime, the Magic missed 23 consecutive shots to score only 11 points in the third and eight in the fourth, blowing a 24-point lead. Once they got eliminated, it all but secured his exit.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Magic just scored 19 POINTS in the second half omfg \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/en6Ae8Sno6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/en6Ae8Sno6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Overtime (@overtime) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/overtime\/status\/2050390509982450081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Fresh off a playoff series where he struggled to get a consistent offense out of some high-end talent, it&#8217;s hard to imagine how he will do better with the arguably more awkward Pelicans roster.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h3>4. Darvin Ham<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_194189\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-194189\" style=\"width: 3481px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_25786977_168415934_lowres.webp\" alt=\"Darvin ham is among the top pelicans coaching candidates.\" width=\"3481\" height=\"2321\" class=\"size-full wp-image-194189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_25786977_168415934_lowres.webp 3481w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_25786977_168415934_lowres-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_25786977_168415934_lowres-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_25786977_168415934_lowres-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3481px) 100vw, 3481px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-194189\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mar 22, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham (left) talks with forward Taurean Prince (12) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If Darvin Ham\u2019s name feels a little unexpected among the leading Pelicans coaching candidates, it\u2019s not coming out of nowhere. There is a real connective thread through Joe Dumars. Ham spent time within the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pistons\/\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Pistons<\/a> organization as a player during Dumars\u2019 tenure, creating a level of familiarity that matters in these hiring cycles. That alone places him firmly in the dark horse category. He&#8217;s recently out of a job after the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/bucks\/\" target=\"_self\">Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> parted with Doc Rivers&#8217; coaching staff.<\/p>\n<p>Ham\u2019s two-year run with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/lakers\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> tells the more important story. On paper, a Western Conference Finals appearance stands out. But the experience itself was far less convincing. As a first-time head coach, he was tasked with managing a volatile environment built around <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a>, and the role often looked a step ahead of him. Rotations were inconsistent, adjustments came late, and the offensive identity never fully settled.<\/p>\n<p>That context matters when projecting him onto New Orleans. This is not a clean roster. It\u2019s a team that will require creative, out-of-the-box solutions to balance its flaws. Ham, at this stage, profiles as more of a steady, run-of-the-mill coach than an inventive one. His strengths lean toward structure and accountability, but New Orleans needs more than that. It needs a coach who can reshape problems into advantages, not just manage them.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h3>3. Rajon Rondo<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_194193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-194193\" style=\"width: 1462px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28541786_168415934_lowres.webp\" alt=\"Rajon Rondo is a surprise leader among the Pelicans coaching candidates \" width=\"1462\" height=\"896\" class=\"size-full wp-image-194193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28541786_168415934_lowres.webp 1462w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28541786_168415934_lowres-768x471.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1462px) 100vw, 1462px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-194193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rajon Rondo, dad of Pierre, was there to watch his son play against Lyon County in the first round of the KHSAA Sweet 16. March 19, 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rondora01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rajon Rondo<\/a> is the most intriguing name on this list, and probably the most difficult to project. He\u2019s currently a coaching associate with Milwaukee, but his real r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is still tied to what he was as a player.<\/p>\n<p>This is someone widely regarded as one of the smartest guards of his generation. A floor general who essentially functioned as a coach on the court, organising offenses, reading coverages, and manipulating defenses in real time. That part translates. You can easily see him helping structure an offense and getting buy-in from players.<\/p>\n<p>The issue is everything else. Rondo has no real head coaching experience, and very little time even as a full assistant. That\u2019s a steep jump, especially for a Pelicans team that isn\u2019t exactly stable. This isn\u2019t a developmental situation where he can grow into the role quietly. This is a team that needs answers immediately. Still, Rajon Rondo makes some experimental sense among Joe Dumars&#8217; Pelicans coaching candidates.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h3>2. Steve Hetzel<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_194191\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-194191\" style=\"width: 2214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_27931225_168415934_lowres.webp\" alt=\"Steve Hetzel makes a ton of sense as a pelicans coaching candidate. \" width=\"2214\" height=\"1476\" class=\"size-full wp-image-194191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_27931225_168415934_lowres.webp 2214w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_27931225_168415934_lowres-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_27931225_168415934_lowres-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_27931225_168415934_lowres-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2214px) 100vw, 2214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-194191\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan 4, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) talkes with Assistant Coach Steve Hetzel, prior to the game against the Denver Nuggets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Steve Hetzel has built one of those \u201cgrind-through-every-layer\u201d coaching r\u00e9sum\u00e9s. He started as a video coordinator with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/spurs\/\" target=\"_self\">San Antonio Spurs<\/a> under Gregg Popovich then joined <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/cavaliers\/\" target=\"_self\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> under Mike Brown before moving into player development roles with Detroit.<\/p>\n<p>That matters because it places him directly in the classic NBA coaching pipeline: film, player development, bench, then a head coaching role. Coaches who survive that ladder usually have strong teaching reputations. He is from a strong coaching tree of Popovich and Brown.<\/p>\n<p>Hetzel coached the Canton Charge, the G-league affiliate of Cleveland, for one season. He led them to a 28-22 record. That earned him an assistant coach role with Charlotte under Steve Clifford. Hetzel coached the Portland Trail Blazers summer league team to the 2022 NBA Summer League championship. He&#8217;s been a key part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/20\/what-jordi-fernandezs-extension-means-for-the-nets-future-and-whats-next\/\" target=\"_self\">impressive Nets coaching staff led by Jordi Fernandez.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Steve Hetzel makes a ton of sense as one of the pelicans coaching candidates. He is one of the younger guys that uses a lot of data in his decisions. Steve Hetzel is the kind of progressive coach the Pelicans need to walk through their door. He&#8217;s also known for his collaborative disposition and ability to build a growth culture. As clich\u00e9 as those sound, the Pelicans have prodigious young talents in <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/fearsje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremiah Fears<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/q\/queende01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derik Queen<\/a> that need that culture.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h3>1. Sean Sweeney<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_194192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-194192\" style=\"width: 3832px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28167418_168415934_lowres.webp\" alt=\"Sean Sweeney is a deserving Pelicans coaching candidate in their head coaching search\" width=\"3832\" height=\"2554\" class=\"size-full wp-image-194192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28167418_168415934_lowres.webp 3832w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28167418_168415934_lowres-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28167418_168415934_lowres-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/05\/USATSI_28167418_168415934_lowres-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3832px) 100vw, 3832px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-194192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sean Sweeney is younger but has climbed faster into influence. He\u2019s now associate head coach with San Antonio, which is essentially a lead assistant role. He\u2019s long been tied to Jason Kidd\u2019s coaching tree, which is known for defensive structure. Sean Sweeney&#8217;s defensive schemes make him my personal favourite among the Joe Dumars&#8217; Pelicans coaching candidates.<\/p>\n<p>He started his coaching career as a video coordinator with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/nets\/\" target=\"_self\">New Jersey Nets<\/a>. From 2018 to 2021, Sweeney was an assistant coach with Detroit under Dwane Casey. In 2021, Sweeney joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/mavericks\/\" target=\"_self\">Dallas Mavericks<\/a> as an assistant coach under Kidd. Sweeney also worked with Kidd as a member of the Nets and Milwaukee. This is where Sweeney separates himself: a 2022 Western Conference finals appearance and a 2024 NBA Finals appearance on his resume.<\/p>\n<p>Sweeney has a strong reputation as a defensive coordinator-type coach, even being trusted with full control of schemes under Kidd. That\u2019s a big deal. In coaching hierarchies, running a defense is often the closest thing to calling plays as a head coach. Another plus in Sweeney&#8217;s favour is that he has had multiple head coaching interviews in recent cycles.<\/p>\n<p>Credit:\u00a9 David Butler II-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEW ORLEANS \u2014 The New Orleans Pelicans still have a head coaching vacancy, with Joe Dumars electing not to reward interim coach James Borrego. According to senior NBA insider Sam Amick, they have a list of four candidates that they have narrowed down to. \u201cNew Orleans has been deliberating over finalists Darvin Ham (a Bucks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":194194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,33,3],"tags":[50244,49691,3839,5019,1557,2242,209,49235,50451],"class_list":["post-194150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-pelicans","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-2026-27-season","tag-darvin-ham","tag-jamahl-mosley","tag-james-borrego","tag-joe-dumars","tag-rajon-rondo","tag-sean-sweeney","tag-steve-hetzel"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194150"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194196,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194150\/revisions\/194196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}