Pelicans Dismiss Head Coach Willie Green After 2–10 Start
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The New Orleans Pelicans have fired head coach Willie Green following the team’s 2-10 opening to the 2025-26 season, the organization confirmed Saturday.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars announced the decision, calling it “a difficult” but necessary move. Assistant coach James Borrego, former head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, will take over on an interim basis.
Rough Start and Historic Lows
New Orleans dropped its first six games and is currently on a four-game skid, most recently falling 118-104 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. According to ESPN Research, the Pelicans became the first team in league history to lose three of their opening six contests by at least 30 points and the first in franchise history to surrender 120-plus points in each of their first five games. The club ranks in the bottom five of both offensive and defensive rating.
Injuries Hamper Roster
The slow start has been compounded by injuries to key players. Forward Zion Williamson has appeared in only five games due to a recurring hamstring issue, the fourth straight season he has dealt with the injury. Guard Jordan Poole has missed time with a left quad strain, while point guard Dejounte Murray continues to rehab a torn Achilles sustained in January.
Green’s Tenure
Green, 44, finishes his Pelicans stint with a 150-190 regular-season record and two playoff appearances (2021-22 and 2023-24). His best campaign came last season, when New Orleans won 49 games before being swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. A former assistant with the Phoenix Suns, Green was hired by New Orleans in 2021.
Front-Office Context
Dumars replaced longtime executive David Griffin in April and aggressively reshaped the roster in the offseason, acquiring Poole and center Kevon Looney. The Pelicans also dealt an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta for the No. 13 selection, forward Derik Queen, and sent another 2026 first back to Indiana to secure the No. 23 pick in 2025. As a result, New Orleans currently owns no first-round selections in 2026.
Borrego, 47, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers head-coaching vacancies in 2024 and declined lead assistant offers from the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets to remain with the Pelicans.
The Pelicans return to action Monday night when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
Source: ESPN
