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Report: New Orleans Pelicans to hire Alvin Gentry as head coach

By Josh Hill

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors associate head coach Alvin Gentry (left) talks to forward Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors associate head coach Alvin Gentry (left) talks to forward Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Orleans Pelicans will reportedly hire Alvin Gentry as their new head coach once the NBA Finals are over. 

When the New Orleans Pelicans fired Monty Williams, the idea behind it seemingly was that they’d wait for the Chicago Bulls to finish dousing Tom Thibodeau with gasoline and fire him. Once that happened though, the Pelicans have decided to make a hire — but not of Tom Thibodeau.

It has been rumored in recent days that Golden State Warriors assistant coach Alvin Gentry has emerged as the front runner to take over for Monty Williams and that was confirmed on Saturday. According to multiple reports, the Pelicans will be hiring Gentry as soon as they can.

They’ll have to wait until after the postseason is over though, as Gentry is currently coaching in the NBA Finals with the Warriors. There was interest in Gentry around the NBA, but ultimately it will be the Pelicans snatching him up or their next head coaching job.

Gentry is one of the best assistants in the NBA and he proved his value on Steve Kerr’s staff this season. When Kerr was hired, he sought out the help of veteran assistant coaches to aide him in his first year on the bench, and Gentry’s fingerprints are all over the Dubs.

The success of Steph Curry, the defense of the Warriors and their overall rise to the top of the NBA has been something that no doubt Gentry played a major role in — and that’s now being rewarded.

How well he does in New Orleans is yet to be seen, but the situations are similar. Like Golden State, the Pelicans are a young team that have the pieces to win but need to be pushed hard in the right direction. Gentry is the guy Dell Demps thinks can do that, and while other top assistants have failed in recent years, like Brian Shaw, there is hope that Gentry can turn the Pelicans around.

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