New Candidate Emerges in Pelicans' Head Coach Search

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly interested in a former NBA role player in their search for a new head coach.

Apr 10, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The logo of the New Orleans Pelicans is seen during the second half of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans head into the offseason with massive question marks they need to answer before next year. Chief among them is who they will get as their permanent head coach before the start of next basketball season.

Current interim head coach James Borrego is among the potential candidates to lead New Orleans next season, despite his tenure this year after the firing of former head coach Willie Green. Borrego went 24-46 after the Pelicans fired Green just 12 games into the season. Despite the poor record, the Pelicans did play well in spurts under Borrego, showing some offensive life throughout the season.

New Orleans next head coach will have to navigate an offseason without any first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, possible roster shakeups in their backcourt with either Jordan Poole and/or Dejounte Murray, and figuring out how to pair Zion Williamson with Derik Queen long-term. Aside from Borrego, names such as Darvin Ham, Kevin Ollie, and Jamahl Mosley are being thrown around as potential hires.

Mosley is currently the head coach of the Orlando Magic, but recent rumors suggest he and star player Paolo Banchero have a contentious relationship, leading some to think he would be on the way out after the season. However, a surprise new name has surfaced in the hat for a potential hire in the Big Easy, per team insider Shamit Dua, who said Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley is a "name to watch" in the Pels' coaching search.

One name to watch for in the Pelicans coaching search is Denver Nuggets Assistant, Jared Dudley

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) April 16, 2026

Jared Dudley Is a "Name to Watch" as the Potential Head Coach of the Pelicans

Dudley is currently on staff as a top assistant for the Denver Nuggets, who are preparing for the playoffs as a No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Before his stint with the Nuggets, the former NBA champion spent four seasons on Jason Kidd’s staff with the Dallas Mavericks, giving him a unique perspective on working with NBA stars. Dudley has coached both Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic during his time as an assistant coach, which could help him in his relationship with Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson.

The former No. 1 overall pick reaffirmed his commitment to New Orleans in his end-of-season media availability session this past week. Despite never playing in a playoff game through the first seven years of his career, Williamson clearly stated New Orleans is where he wants to be.

Dudley is a former NBA forward who played 14 seasons in the league for seven teams. He was mostly a bench player throughout his career, but he brought grit and toughness that his teammates appreciated.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James sang his praises after an on-court skirmish with the Orlando Magic caused Dudley to be ejected from the game. James said postgame, “'Dudz' will do whatever. He told you guys at media day his job is to come in here if somebody goes crazy, do something crazy to me or AD or whoever on the team, he's going to be the muscle." Toughness like that is something the Pelicans have lacked in recent years, so an embodiment of that from the head coach could help the team embrace that persona.

The coaching search for the Pelicans will be key in shaping the direction of their team for the next few years. After back-to-back embarrassing seasons, New Orleans must right its ship now to avoid falling further into the abyss of the Western Conference. The Pelicans must make a wise decision now to avoid the similar heartache they’ve experienced over the last couple of seasons.