© Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a banner day for Willie Green. The former NBA player and longtime Warriors assistant has had a meteoric rise as a coach and is now set to become a head coach for the first time.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the New Orleans Pelicans plan to hire Green as their new head coach. Green is still coaching as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. Sharania reports the two sides, “are working through the final stages of the process.”
Green was a 12-year NBA veteran who spent the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. After finishing his career with the Orlando Magic, Green joined the Warriors’ coaching staff in 2016 and remained there through 2019, when he signed with the Suns as an assistant.
He was well-loved by players during his time with Golden State and given his recent NBA experience, was often on the court working out players in hands-on drills.