Former Lakers Head Coach Emerges As Name to Watch for Pelicans Job

Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers could have one of their former head coaches join the New Orleans Pelicans as the franchise's new leader.

Following the Lakers' 118-104 win against the Pelicans on Friday, New Orleans fired Willie Green as head coach, marking the first firing of the season.

The Pelicans' 2-10 season start was poor enough that general manager Joe Dumars decided to fire Green.

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For the time being, James Borrego is the interim coach. Still, Dumars is likely to undergo a full-scale search that involves interviewing multiple candidates, among whom could be former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (via Substack).

"You'll recall that The Stein Line reported in July that the Pelicans refused to grant New York permission to hire Borrego as the top aide for the staff of new Knicks coach Mike Brown in part because they knew they might fire Green and wanted to ensure that their associate head coach would remain an option to take over," Stein wrote in his Substack.

"Borrego had already interviewed with the Knicks for the head coaching vacancy that was filled by Brown.

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"Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, I'm told, is a name to watch in the Pelicans' search. My former ESPN teammate Ian Begley reported this week that former UConn coach and Nets interim coach Kevin Ollie — long admired by Dumars' top aide Troy Weaver — is another potential candidate."

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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 17, 2025

Ham was the head coach of the Lakers for two seasons, all of which featured dismay from fans regarding his lack of adjustments and plays that were installed.

Instead, it felt like he was more of a figurehead who made certain decisions but mainly stayed out of the way of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, a young Austin Reaves, and a rotating supporting cast.

The Arrival of JJ Redick

Eventually, the Lakers moved on in the summer of 2024, hiring JJ Redick as his replacement. While Redick had no prior coaching experience, he has brought a sense of structure and system to the Lakers, along with an involved presence that takes risks on the court and holds himself accountable to the media, both traits that Lakers fans felt Ham did not show.

Given all that comes with coaching in Los Angeles, it is possible that Ham may fit better in a smaller market like New Orleans, which is rebuilding and doesn't have playoff aspirations in the near future.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.