In a move that had been telegraphed for weeks, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly fired head coach Alvin Gentry on Saturday morning, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The franchise itself confirmed the firing of Gentry while also releasing a statement from owner Gayle Benson.
“I want to thank Alvin for his contributions to the Pelicans and the New Orleans community. We believe that making a head coaching change is necessary at this time. I truly appreciate Alvin’s leadership, dedication and perseverance through some challenging circumstances over the past five seasons. He will always be a part of our Pelicans family, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future. Our intention moving forward is to find the right head coach that will guide this Pelicans team to compete for championships. That is what our fans deserve.”
In five seasons with the Pelicans, Gentry finished with a 175-225 record. Gentry led the team to just one winning record and had just one 40-win season. That lone season came in 2017-18 when the Pelicans made the playoffs and swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
This season, New Orleans struggled with injuries at times but could never found a footing, highlighted by their 13-game losing streak. Though the Pelicans did have a run as one of the better teams in the Western Conference after Zion Williamson’s introduction, their woeful performance in the bubble was the final straw for Gentry, who had one year left on his contract.
