After a lengthy, lengthy search process, the New Orleans Pelicans have found their new head coach. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez reported that the franchise had agreed to a deal with Stan Van Gundy. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the deal with Van Gundy is a four-year contract.
According to Wojnarowski, the Pelicans were “sold on (his) abilities as a teacher with a young roster, his history of building top defensive teams and his vision for the roster in place.” Wojnarowski also noted that Van Gundy’s personnel decisions as the head coach and general manager in Detroit did not factor into the search.
Last week, Van Gundy interviewed with the Pelicans and was listed as one of the four finalists for the position. One of the first tasks for Van Gundy may be attempting to retain Chris Finch, an assistant for New Orleans last season that has fielded interest across the league for head coach openings.
