New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy has “mutually agreed to part ways” with the team after only one season at the helm.
Locked on Pelicans host Jake Madison said this situation had been building behind the scenes after a tough year where the Pels missed the playoffs and it’s probably for the best.
“Stan Van Gundry didn’t seem to vibe with the players, there was some clear tension between him and Brandon Ingram at times and him and the front office at times,” said Madison. “I think Van Gundy kind of looked at this as a situation that he did not want to be in.”
Madison said the new coaching search will not be as open-ended as the last one and there are already a few frontrunners in contention, including in-house candidate Naismith Hall of Famer Teressa Weatherspoon.
“Someone who all of the players have really all raved about her work with them this last year,” said Madison
Weatherspoon, a former La. Tech coach, is currently a Pelicans assistant coach. If hired, Weatherspoon would be the first woman head coach in a major American sport. Madison also added that Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Timberwolves Associate Head Coach David Vanterpool are being considered.
Madison said this next hire will be absolutely crucial considering star forward Zion Williamson will soon be extension eligible and he’s now had three different coaches in his first three years.
“The Pelicans want to make him sign any contract that they put in front of him immediately and not have to play the protracted game of will he stay or won’t he stay, so they really need to get this hire correct,” said Madison.
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