Pelicans Eye Darvin Ham After Firing Willie Green

The Pelicans have opened a coaching search after firing Willie Green following a 2-10 start, and Marc Stein says Darvin Ham "is a name to watch." Ham, a 52-year-old Bucks assistant and former Lakers head coach, reached the Western Conference Finals in 2023 but was fired after a first-round exit in 2024. Interim coach James Borrego and former UConn boss Kevin Ollie are also in the mix, so New Orleans is weighing experience versus a fresh reset for a team that went 21-61 a year ago. Merlin sees a balancing act: Ham brings recent head-coaching mileage and a reboot from working under Doc Rivers, but his Lakers tenure was uneven. Borrego offers continuity; Ollie brings a different pedigree. The Pelicans will pick whoever best meshes with their young core and long-term plan.