Stan Van Gundy Is The New Head Coach Of The New Orleans Pelicans

Stan Van Gundy is the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans!

Why?

Because Stan Van Gundy has agreed to a multi year deal to become the new head coach of New Orleans and because Van Gundy's reputation as a teacher of the game in his 11-plus seasons as an NBA head coach stood out - teaching that will become key as New Orleans attempts to make the leap with a young roster. according to an article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez on espn.com

Stan Van Gundy's teams have always stood out on the defensive end. In the 11 seasons he finished as a head coach, Van Gundy's teams were in the top half in the NBA in defensive rating 10 times - including his last three seasons in Detroit. His teams finished top 10 in defensive rating eight of those seasons. “according to an article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez on espn.com

His four seasons in Detroit included a dual title as president and coach, and personnel decisions -- particularly in the draft -- played a role in limiting the team's success. Still, Van Gundy did elevate the Pistons out of several years in the lottery to the playoffs in 2016 with 44 victories. according to an article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez on espn.com

Van Gundy, 61, has a 523-384 (.577) regular-season record and 48-43 (.427) playoff record in the NBA. He led the Magic to the NBA Finals in the 2008-09 season. “according to an article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez on espn.com

Van Gundy inherits a Pelicans' squad that underachieved during the NBA restart after having the easiest path - schedule-wise - to make the playoffs. Instead, New Orleans finished 13th in the Western Conference after going 2-6 in Orlando. according to an article by Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez on espn.com