It seemed to take a while, but apparently New Orleans Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin got the man he wanted.
That would be no less than Stan Van Gundy, who has agreed to become the next coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, according to a report from ESPN.
Van Gundy’s contract is for four years, added Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Van Gundy coached the Orlando Magic to the 2009 Finals, where they lost to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the Miami Heat before that and most recently served in the dual role of team president and coach with the Detroit Pistons.
Overall, Van Gundy has compiled a 523-384 regular-season record.
Van Gundy, 61, spent part of this past season as an in-game analyst for TNT and is the brother for former coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
Now, Stan Van Gundy will be charged with getting the most out of the likes of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and other reasons for hope.
“As New Orleans’ front office navigated the coaching waters, Van Gundy’s reputation as a teacher of the game in his 11-plus seasons as an NBA head coach stood out — teaching that will become key as New Orleans attempts to make the leap with a young roster,” wrote Adrian Wojnarowski and Anrew Lopez of ESPN.
As has been noted in several reports, Jeff Van Gundy is among the finalists for the Houston Rockets’ coaching vacancy.
