Following years of disappointment, the New Orleans Pelicans have put together the best roster in recent memory this season. In the offseason, they filled their void at the point guard position by adding Dejounte Murray after a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
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In the 2023-24 season, the Pelicans finished the year with the eighth seed. They faced off against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round and were ultimately swept in four games. However, they were without their franchise star, Zion Williamson.
New Orleans’ coaching staff will try to ensure that the team witnesses a better fate this season. Despite the new pieces to their roster, the NOLA side has mostly retained their coaching staff. Head coach Willie Green has thrived in his three seasons with the team.
So let’s see who are in his team of coaching staff.
Willie Green – Head coach
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the Pelicans hired Willie Green as the franchise’s eighth head coach. Before moving to New Orleans, Green served as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns.
In three seasons with the Pelicans, Green has led the team to two postseason appearances. Both instances resulted in an early exit in the first round, but the team didn’t have all their tools available as well. Additionally, Green is the only head coach in Pelicans history to boast an above .500 record with the team while coaching multiple seasons.
James Borrego – Associate head coach
Borrego is entering his second season as an associate head coach as a member of Green’s coaching staff. However, this isn’t his first stint with the Pels. Back when the team was called, the New Orleans Hornets, Borrego spent two seasons as an assistant coach under Monty Williams from 2010-12.
He’s the highest-ranking coach outside of Green on the Pelican’s coaching staff. Borrego provides great experience as a coach, which includes his knowledge as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022.
Aaron Miles – Assistant coach
Joining Borrego as a second-year member of the coaching staff, Aaron Miles returns to the Pelicans as an assistant coach. In his time in the NBA, Miles has been around winning culture in different organizations.
He has spent time with the Golden State Warriors as a player development coach and with the Boston Celtics as an assistant coach.
Casey Hill – Assistant coach
Casey Hill’s tenure with the Pelicans dates from before Green’s arrival in New Orleans. Hill joined the Pelicans in 2020 under Stan Van Gundy’s coaching staff. However, Van Gundy only lasted one season with the team. Green decided to keep Hill on his coaching staff.
His coaching experience helped him retain his job under the new management. From 2013-2017, Hill served as the head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, the G-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors. Afterwards, he spent one season as the head coach of the Agua Caliente Clippers, the G-League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jarron Collins – Assistant coach
Former 10-year NBA veteran, Jarron Collins, has experienced more success as a coach than as a player. Collins played for the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns, the L.A. Clippers, and the Portland Trail Blazers throughout his career. He joined the Pelicans as a member of Green’s coaching staff in 2021.
His first stint as a coach came ahead of the 2014-15 season with the Warriors. Collins served as a player development coach en route to Golden State’s victory in the 2015 NBA Finals. He then received a promotion and maintained a role on the coaching staff for the 2017 and 2018 Warriors championships.
Dan Geriot – Assistant coach
The 2024-25 season marks the first season of Dan Geriot’s tenure with the Pelicans as an assistant coach. He spent the entirety of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff.
Geriot started as a video coordinator under Tyronn Lue in Cleveland. Eventually, he shifted to a player development coach when Larry Drew took over. Once J.B. Bickerstaff became the head coach, he received a promotion to assistant.
Corey Brewer – Assistant coach (player development)
Corey Brewer spent 13 years in the NBA as a player. Following his retirement in 2020, he immediately accepted an offer to join the Pelicans coaching staff as a player development coach. The 2024-25 season will be his fourth season in New Orleans. In September of 2024, Brewer received a promotion to assistant coach.
Darnell Lazare – Assistant coach (player development)
Darnell Lazare is a familiar face within the Pelicans organization. He was hired ahead of the 2019-20 season as a player development coach. In September of 2024, Lazare received a promotion to assistant coach with the Pelicans.
Tom Maystadt (Trainer)
Tom Maystadt’s role with the Pelicans is an important one. He serves as the Head Athletic Trainer for New Orleans. He’s held that title since the 2019-2020 season.
Before joining the Pelicans, he was the Head Athletic Trainer for the Suns between 2016-2018. Maystadt’s experience dates to as early as the 2009-10 NBA season.
