Veteran assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik has officially joined the Pelicans‘ coaching staff as an assistant, the club announced today in a press release. Bzdelik will be one of two associate head coaches under Alvin Gentry, handling defensive responsibilities while fellow associate head coach Chris Finch focuses on offense.
A former head coach for the Nuggets and a handful of college programs, including Colorado and Wake Forest, Bzdelik had been the Rockets’ associate head coach since 2016. He briefly retired following the 2017/18 season, but after Houston got off to a slow start in 2018/19, the team lured him out of retirement and got him back on the bench alongside Mike D’Antoni.
Following a disappointing second-round exit this spring, the Rockets let Bzdelik’s contract expire without pushing to lock him up to a new deal. He subsequently engaged in negotiations with New Orleans, with a report back in July indicating that the two sides were close to a deal.
The Pelicans have also hired former Suns assistant Jamelle McMillan in an assistant role, promoting Joe Boylan to assistant coach/director of player development and Michael Ruffin to assistant coach/player development.
NBA coaching staffs and their support personnel are getting to the point where they almost equal the number of players – I guess you need a whole lot of babysitters to manage the inmates
This whole comment is inappropriate
He was correct all the way up to the last word
Bob McNair used the same word and got away with it.
Agree that inmates might have been harsh but my point is that with the league bringing in more and more players in the 19-20 year range (and more on the way if they terminate the “one and done” rule, the teams now need to besides teaching skills, concepts and strategy also “life skills and professionalism” – suggest you watch a video where Mark Cuban discusses this and the impact AAU programs have had on this phenomenon.
There goes Houston’s only semblance of defence. This year it ain’t gonna be pretty for the Rockets.