Suns assistant Willie Green emerges as frontrunner for Pelicans head coaching job

Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner for the New Orleans Pelicans head coach vacancy.

The New Orleans Pelicans opted to end the Stan Van Gundy experiment after just one season on the job. With nearly all of the head-coaching vacancies filled, the Pelicans are reportedly looking at the coaching staff of the Western Conference champions for their next sideline boss.

According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans’ choice to be their new head coach is Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green, who has emerged as the frontrunner for the job.

Pelicans: Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green the choice for New Orleans’ head coach

While Green did play in the NBA for 12 years, he has made a name for himself as an assistant coach in the league as well. After his playing career ended, Green joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant under Steve Kerr in 2016. In his three seasons with the team, Green walked away with two NBA championship rings.

At the conclusion of the 2019 season, Green joined Monty Williams’ coaching staff in Phoenix. This year has been fantastic for the Suns, as they are currently two wins away from winning their first Larry O’Brien trophy in franchise history. Plenty of the team’s success can be attributed to Green.

The Pelicans parted ways with then-head coach Alvin Gentry after failing to qualify for the play-in round in the Orlando bubble last year. The organization brought in Van Gundy in the hopes that he could lead the promising team to the playoffs. That never came too fruition, as the team finished in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 31-41 record and missed out on the play-in round once again.

New Orleans was looking for the right head coach for star Zion Williamson, and they reportedly have found their top target in Green. Now, we wait until a deal becomes official.