Another Former Clipper About to Land Head Coaching Gig With Minimal Experience

NBA teams are increasingly making bold decisions in their head coaching hires. Outside-the-box thinking has teams bringing in head coaches without much prior experience. Former Clippers shooting guard JJ Redick has found a ton of success making the jump from podcasting to being the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Redick's success has now inspired other teams to look for recently retired former players with minimal coaching experience.

Another former Clippers guard, Rajon Rondo, is seemingly following in Redick's footsteps. A two-time NBA champ and four-time All-Star, Rondo is reportedly interviewing for the New Orleans Pelicans' head coaching opening. Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rondo "remains in consideration for the position".

Rajon Rondo Trying to Make the Jump from Doc Rivers' Staff to Head Coaching

Rondo spent the last two seasons on former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers's staff in Milwaukee. He wasn't a full-time member of the coaching staff, but was given the chance to be on the bench during games as a coaching associate and work closely with the Bucks players. In his story, Nehm credits Rondo for the impressive, out-of-nowhere development of point guard Ryan Rollins.

Now, the 40-year-old is being seriously considered for the Pelicans job. Only four years after retiring from the NBA, this would be a similarly quick transition from playing to head coaching as Redick's.

The Lakers head coach retired from the NBA at the end of the 2020-21 season and was appointed by LA in the 2024 offseason. Unlike Rondo, however, he wasn't even coaching part-time in that span. Yet, he was able to lead the Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons, carving the path for other inexperienced former players.

This is not an entirely new phenomenon. Jason Kidd was hired as the Nets' head coach in the same offseason he retired from playing. Steve Nash was similarly hired by Brooklyn in 2020 after he spent five years consulting for the Warriors for five years after his retirement.

Players who are known to be basketball savants on the court understandably get opportunities earlier than their peers. Rondo falls under that category, despite not being able to show that in his brief time with the Clippers.

Rondo was acquired by the Clippers at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for Lou Williams. He started the playoffs as the backup point guard behind Reggie Jackson. As the Clippers made the run to their first Conference Finals appearance ever, Rondo lost his spot in the rotation, and Patrick Beverley, Luke Kennard, and Terance Mann started to play more in his stead.

Rondo ended up returning to the Lakers in the offseason, but his NBA career didn't last much longer after that, not playing again after the 2021-22 season.

Now, the former Celtics legend is trying to make a name for himself in coaching. Whether he gets that chance right away or will have to wait his turn remains to be seen.

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