After a 2-10 start to the 2025-26 NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans have relieved head coach Willie Green of his duties, the team officially announced. Associate Head Coach James Borrego will take over as interim head coach for the team.
Green had served as the head coach in New Orleans since 2021. The Pelicans made two playoff appearances under Green, but they lost in the first round both times.
Last year, the Pelicans finished 14th in the Western Conference with a record of 21-61. They appear to be on a similar path this season, as they're currently dead last in the West. Clearly, the higher-ups felt that a change was needed.
“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said of the decision via a statement. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson also weighed in on the move, basically stating that she has empowered Dumars to make the difficult decisions and that she trusts his judgement.
“As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise,” Benson said. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years.
"This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions," she added. "My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans.”
Green leaves the Pelicans with a regular season record of 150-190 and a playoff record of 2-10.