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NBA Rumors: Jeff Van Gundy interested in Pelicans head coach job

By Connor Muldowney

Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. The Bulls defeated the Mavericks 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the New Orleans Pelicans job just over a week old, names are starting to pop up as possible head coaches and Jeff Van Gundy is one that has expressed interest.

The NBA could be getting more interesting next year as the younger brother of Detroit Pistons‘ head coach Stan Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy, has expressed interest in the vacant New Orleans Pelicans position. This report comes just over a week after Monty Williams was fired.

New Orleans is no laugher of a job anymore as the Pelicans have begun on the winning path, stealing the eighth-seed in the 2015 Western Conference Playoffs. Not many people expected this team to even make it to the postseason, but it exceeded expectations before getting swept by No. 1 seed Golden State.

While the Monty Williams firing may have been a bit of a shock, it makes sense seeing as the team now expects to win and wants a coach that will lead the Pelicans to the playoffs every year instead of having a three-year hiatus in between appearances.

According to ESPN‘s Marc Stein, the two sides could be talking as the younger Van Gundy is reportedly interested in the job.

Jeff Van Gundy has thrown his hat into the ring, hoping to get the call as the team’s next head coach. The last time Van Gundy was a head coach in the league, LeBron James was still in his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Rose had never been injured (mostly because he wasn’t in the NBA yet) and his brother’s current team was still relevant, making Eastern Conference Finals appearances every year.

The interest in the job isn’t too surprising as the current ESPN broadcaster for NBA games has been close to the game throughout his entire career. Seeing his brother attempt to build the Pistons back into a contender has to have him itching to get back as well.

In his 11 seasons as a professional head coach, Van Gundy recorded 430 victories, four 50-plus win seasons and 44 playoff triumphs. He made it to the NBA Finals once in his career and missed the postseason in just one full season.

This could be the Pelicans’ best chance to get a coach who knows how to win and has done a lot of it in the past.

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