Pelicans fire head coach Alvin Gentry

It comes as no surprise but the New Orleans Pelicans are officially looking for a new head coach.

Alvin Gentry has been fired after five seasons in New Orleans, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez of ESPN. The team confirmed the news late Saturday morning.

The Pelicans made it to the playoffs just once in Gentry’s tenure. With a chance to reach the postseason again in the NBA’s Orlando bubble, the team struggled to a 2-6 record including several lackluster efforts.

New Orleans won between 30 and 34 games in four of five Gentry’s seasons at the helm. The only winning season under Gentry was in 2017-18, when New Orleans went 48-34 and reached the Western Conference semifinals after a four-game sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers.

David Griffin and his front office staff inherited Gentry and gave the 65-year old the chance to keep the head coaching reins but the team finished this past season 30-42.

New Orleans was Gentry’s fifth NBA head coaching stop. Gentry’s career record with the Pelicans was 175-225. His overall record as an NBA head coach (Miami, Detroit, LA Clippers, Phoenix, New Orleans) is 510-595.

The Bulls and Nets are also on the market for a new head coach.

Release: ALVIN GENTRY RELIEVED OF HEAD COACHING DUTIES
August 15, 2020

NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin announced today that Alvin Gentry has been relieved of his head coaching duties.

“I’m grateful for and appreciative of Alvin’s commitment to the organization and, most importantly, the local community,” said Griffin. “The City of New Orleans is richer because of his presence here. These types of moves are often about fit and timing, and we believe now is the right time to make this change and bring in a new voice.”

“I want to thank Alvin for his contributions to the Pelicans and the New Orleans community,” said Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson. “We believe that making a head coaching change is necessary at this time. I truly appreciate Alvin’s leadership, dedication and perseverance through some challenging circumstances over the past five seasons. He will always be a part of our Pelicans family, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future. Our intention moving forward is to find the right head coach that will guide this Pelicans team to compete for championships. That is what our fans deserve.”

Gentry was named head coach of the Pelicans on May 30, 2015. He compiled a 175-225 (.438) regular season record in five seasons with New Orleans, earning one playoff berth in 2018 and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals. The Pelicans finished the 2019-20 season with a 30-42 record.