11:08am: The Pelicans have officially announced Van Gundy’s exit, stating in a press release that the two sides mutually agreed to part ways.
“On behalf of Mrs. Gayle Benson and the Pelicans organization, I would like to thank Stan for the integrity and professionalism that he demonstrated during his time in New Orleans, as well as the commitment and work ethic he brought to our team,” Griffin said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision as I have tremendous respect for Stan both personally and professionally, but we agreed it is in the best interest of our team to move forward in a different direction. We wish Stan, Kim and their family all the best in the future.”
9:57am: Stan Van Gundy will not return to the Pelicans for the 2021/22 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez of ESPN, who report (via Twitter) that Van Gundy is out after just one year as New Orleans’ head coach.
Van Gundy and Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin have met regularly since the end of the regular season to discuss the team’s future, and a divorce between the team and its coach began to feel like an inevitable outcome around the organization, tweets Wojnarowski.
Van Gundy, who previously coached the Heat, Magic, and Pistons, spent a couple years as an NBA analyst from 2018-20 before returning to the head coaching ranks in 2020, when he was hired by the Pelicans. He had a disappointing season in New Orleans, however — a team that entered the year with playoff aspirations finished with a 31-41 (.431) record, missing the play-in tournament.
Replacing Alvin Gentry on the Pelicans’ sidelines, Van Gundy emphasized improving the team’s defense, but failed to do so, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans ranked 23rd in points allowed per 100 possessions, two spots worse than in 2019/20. The Pels also had trouble closing out games, losing 14 times when they held a double-digit lead.
Clark writes that Van Gundy struggled to connect with many of the Pelicans’ young players, who didn’t adapt well to the drastic shift from Gentry’s coaching style to Van Gundy’s. Sources tell NOLA.com that Van Gundy’s relationship with star forward Brandon Ingram was “strained” for much of the season.
Van Gundy joins Nate Bjorkgren, formerly of the Pacers, as the head coaches who were let go this spring after just one year on the job.
The fifth team to launch a head coaching search since the regular season ended, the Pelicans are expected to look both inside and outside of the organization as they seek Van Gundy’s replacement.
Several reporters – including Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Will Guillory of The Athletic, and Marc Stein of The New York Times (all Twitter links) – say that current Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon is a strong contender for the position, while O’Connor also identifies Fred Vinson as a candidate.
As for external candidates, Wojnarowski names Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, and Nets assistants Jacque Vaughn and Ime Udoka as possibilities, noting that the Pelicans considered some of those coaches a year ago before hiring Van Gundy.
Van Gundy, meanwhile, could receive some consideration from the other four teams with head coaching openings, but may prefer to step away again after a trying season. A return to broadcasting is one possibility for the veteran coach.
Is it really Stan fault for the team
Fails?? Lonzo can’t stay healthy always missing games. Their supposedly star player been hurt a lot too . They are relying on some very young talent to win. It going to take a lot for them to improve. It more than just coaching
Yes, it is Stan’s fault.
How if two of your best players Zion’s and lonzo can’t stay healthy
I watched too many games where Stan the Man chose to run the offense through Eric Bledsoe, who was horrible all year, as opposed to Zion, who was unstoppable all year.
This was Stan’s fault.
Preach on. SVG hasn’t exactly been tearing it up historically. Outside of Orlando and the gift of having a talented team there, he hasn’t done much as a coach or executive. I never understood why teams bring him in. Pelicans have a young and talented team, so they bring him in where he just left an organization in worse shape than when he took it.
SVG was at fault. He can not coach. You can’t understand him when he speaks he a find an acorn year and got praise. He ruined Detroit. Thank God Griffin listened. I hope Billups gets this job. Go Pelicans Playoffs for sure with a real coach. ESPN and TNT do not hire SVG he sucks worse than OJ as announcer!
He did a decent job in Miami before Riley came out of retirement to take over coaching…but that was a long time ago.
Cmon people keep posting he did good stuff in Orlando. Why insist on this narrative that he did not?— because he looks funny?
He won the ECF finals strategically, I saw that much. That was the Cavs’ to win otherwise.
Having Dwight has not proven much of an advantage for anyone else. His career largely ended when he left. Richard Lewis & Hedu Turkoglu, both 29, flopped after the ’09 finals. Courtney Lee oh boy. Was that the talent that “made” him?
You are right in that it’s about “more than just coaching”…. however, it’s also about coaching….
Yes, the Pelicans are an extremely underwhelming team for all the talent they had. Not even making the play in was a complete joke.
Stan Van Gundy is a horrible coach, he totally messed up the Piston and they still not have recovered from his mess.
See reggie Jackson tonight? SVG did, thought too late now.
If a women ever become head coach in the nba which I do believe some deserve it. It the day it will break the internet and fan boys and trolls will cry about it .
You sound giddy about it already
Good riddance.
Kenny Atkinson Is the coach all organizations should look into. He made BK worth it. I wish the knicks hired him instead. If he goes to Nola expect spencer to be there as well.
Agreed. It’s a head scratcher as to why he isn’t coaching right now. Can’t see him being available for too long with openings in Portland, Washington, Boston, and I’m sure a few others.
He’s certainly no Jeff Van Gundy
LOL. Right? He might be slightly better.
So Zion gets 3 different coaches in his first 3 seasons, what a truly clueless ownership, front office and franchise. This team needs to be contracted, pelicans are stupid and useless too. No one will ever be scared of a pelican, what a dumb idea for a team name.
Stan…?
The Van Gundy brothers are smart, funny, and decent analysts for TV. But they are autocratic, cranky old men who don’t understand the modern NBA.
They’ve both downplayed analytics on multiple occasions, which is just bafflingly stupid. The best teams in the NBA have several highly paid analytics experts advising coaches and player development staff. The fact that both Van Gundy brothers think they know better is the problem, and the reason they are doomed to fail.
This was a bad hire, and a lot of people (including me) said he would fail. If the owner is smart, Griffin will be fired next. The fact that Griffy thought Van Gundy was a good choice is disqualifying.
It was a mistake hiring SVG – I thought so the day he was hired. Redick convinced Griffin that SVG would do a great job. When Redick got traded to the Mavs, SVG was a goner.
I don’t dislike SVG or JVG – I just think their windows as NBA head coaches have closed.
The Pelicans are one spot behind the Brooklyn Nets in defensive rating on the 2020-21 season. I’m looking at David Griffin as the man to blame, and I’m a HUGE fan of his. He quickly admits his mistake by firing SVG. Will he make the right hire? Let’s see…
It’s clear Zion and Ingram are the Stars of this team. Lonzo will probably get overpaid by the knix, therefore, they need a complimentary PG in the backcourt, one that doesn’t require dribbling the ball to impact the game.
The Pelicans give up a lot of 3pt shots. They rebound the ball very well with Steven Adams at Center. The Hornets can use him. I wonder if Griffin can acquire either DeVonte Graham or Terry Rozier for Adams. He’s also gotta dump Eric Bledsoe somehow AND see who else on that bench is worth keeping
I think getting anything for Adams would be miraculous. The guy isn’t a good fit for the contemporary NBA, unless he develops a decent 3pt shot this summer. He’s basically Dwight Howard, but much (MUCH) more expensive and only slightly better on D.
Not a SVG fan. But it’s also true that no HC would have had much of a chance with that roster, which, despite some elite young talent, was (perhaps deliberately) destined to create a lottery pick.
Griffin talked about creating a certain kind of culture within the organization when he was hired, but his moves never aligned with it. While it was a gut rebuild, there’s a lot of FO types charged with such rebuilds that would have loved to inherit trade assets like AD and Holiday, and be gifted the top overall pick in Zion’s draft year.
Van Gundy is laughing all the way to…
his cell phone’s banking app.
#DirectDeposit
He was as good a coach as he was a TV commentator, just as I said when he was hired.
Please keep this man off tv, and his brother too, while you’re at it.
Yeh he is literally insufferable. I turn the channel.
Best news for Pelicans since Zion was selected #1. Stan Van Gundy is an irrational and hysterical liberal Democrat who displayed abysmal leadership and strategy. He couldn’t relate to his players and the team showed “low iq” basketball and would implode in the 4th quarter. A big mistake by David Griffin.
Who cares about his political affiliation?
“Van Gundy, meanwhile, could receive some consideration from the other four teams with head coaching openings”
IF a team does hire him, bet the Under on that team’s win total and cash in a few months later
Amen to that !
Time to “recycle” another head coach
The pelicans still in eternal rebuild process, they trade cp3 long time ago them, Anthony Davis and still been a loser team, Zion is good but not a superstar yet, is weak in defense and effective only in the paint, so is just not only the coach is the entire organization sorry but is a deep problems.
They were doing well until DeMarcus Cousins blew out his knee. David Griffin just got there a couple of seasons ago . He has plenty of assets now. It’s time 4 him to take some smart risks and get into the Playoffs
Coach K
Paging Lavar Ball!
I actually like Jason Kidd for this roster.
There’s talent but they should be better at defense and passing.
SVG was brought in to toughen up the defense, where he failed.
He’s also a reminder to the players what it’s like to work for a hardass.
GM’s like to bring in the tough coach for young teams and to sharpen their skills, and the players coach to put them over the top.
Pretty sure if Kidd moves to New Orleans he’ll suffer liver failure before the preseason is over.
Kidd is the most “hardassed” by reputation; not sure you favor that, or, that teams hire the toughest coaches for young teams. Not many of the “old-fashioneds” around, so it is said. Now one less.
Griffin is the problem… Thecplayers do not fit.
How much money has SVG stolen while not coaching? Coaches in all sports are the true criminals. Someone needs to do a study of the millions of dollars guys get to not coach. I think Mike Brown, Byron Scott and Ty Lue all just stop getting paid by the Cavs this year.
BREAKING NEWS !!
First in line to interview as Pelicans’ New Head Coach:
AL VAN BUNDY !!