The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley as the team's next head coach, according to sources that spoke to ESPN. His deal with the organization is reportedly for five years.
On May 4th, Mosley was fired by the Magic following the team's Game Seven loss ot the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. That paved the way for New Orleans to hire the fifth-year head coach. Sources that spoke to ESPN said that Pelicans officials had "consistent communication" with Mosley and his agent after he was let go by the Magic.
As a long-time assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks from 2007 to 2021, Mosely was named the Magic's head coach on July 21st, 2021. During his five-year stint with Orlando, he accumulated a 189-221 record while leading the team to three straight playoff appearances from 2024 to 2026.
This is the right man for the moment.
It's not exciting by any means, but it feels like this choice will yield positive results. At the very least, this selection should help the Pelicans take a step in the right direction. They already made one smart move by moving on from Willie Green after he amassed a 150-190 record. Now, they followed that up by hiring a head coach who has at least taken teams to the playoffs and has shown an ability to make groups better.
Currently, the Pels are in a similar spot that the Magic were in when Mosley was first hired. Coming off one of the worst campaigns in franchise history, Orlando’s record improved each of the next three seasons after Mosley was named the head coach, going from 22-60 to 34-48 to 47-35. Though they have not been able to get over the hump in the postseason, Mosley still led Orlando to three straight playoff appearances, which the Pelicans would probably kill for, considering they have made the NBA Playoffs just three times in the last 11 seasons. If we're being honest, a first-round playoff loss would be a massive success in the Big Easy.
This is not a franchise-altering hire, ala J.B. Bickerstaff with the Detroit Pistons or Kenny Atkinson with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But this is the type of coaching choice that will lift the Pelicans out of the gutter. At the end of the day, the Pelicans' success will depend on Zion Williamson’s availability during the regular season. As long as he is healthy, New Orleans should start to be more competitive, especially with Mosely now leading the charge.
We have to be realistic about Mosely, though. Simply put, this is a stepping-stone hire. Mosley is the guy that New Orleans hires before they get THE guy. You pick Mosley because he can teach your team how to win and have good regular-season performances. However, once he comes up short in the playoffs, the Pelicans can move on from Mosely and hire the coach who will be expected to bring a championship to New Orleans.
