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11/15 09:24 CST Pelicans fire coach Willie Green 12 games into his fifth
season, name James Borrego interim coach
Pelicans fire coach Willie Green 12 games into his fifth season, name James
Borrego interim coach
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) --- The New Orleans Pelicans fired Willie Green on Saturday on
the heels of a 2-10 start to the season.
Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, who
announced the coaching change, named top assistant James Borrego, a former
Charlotte Hornets head coach, as interim coach. The Pelicans next play at home
on Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.
"After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change
at head coach," Dumars said in a statement. "I have the utmost respect for
Willie Green, and I'm sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the
Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community."
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, who has come under increasing public pressure
during recent difficult seasons for both the Pelicans and the NFL's Saints,
often spoke glowingly of Green and his family but said she trusted Dumars "to
make the right decisions for our franchise."
"I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly
appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years,"
Benson said. "This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My
expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships."
Borrego was formerly the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons
from 2018 to 2022. He also served as interim head coach with Orlando during the
2014-15 season.
Green, hired to his first head coaching job in 2021 by former Pelicans
basketball operations chief David Griffin, has gone 150-190 in four-plus
seasons.
His Pelicans teams made the playoffs twice, losing in the first round to
Phoenix in 2022 and Oklahoma City in 2024. The Pelicans qualified for the
Western Conference play-in tournament in 2023 but were eliminated by Oklahoma
City.
Dumars, hired to take over for Griffin this year as Pelicans executive vice
president of basketball operations, chose this offseason to stick with Green,
who was entering his final season under contract.
The Pelicans opened the regular season with a six-game skid that included three
30-plus-point losses. Green seemed to be finding his footing when the Pelicans
won two straight, but they have since lost four in a row, including a 118-104
defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in NBA Cup play.
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