yahoo - 5/18/2026 6:02:27 PM - GMT (+2 )
Jamahl Mosley did not have to wait long.
Less than two weeks after the Orlando Magic let him go, Mosley is heading to New Orleans. The Pelicans are hiring him as their next head coach on a five-year deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday.
League executives at last week’s combine had been whispering for days that Mosley was the reason the Pelicans kept stalling their decision. New Orleans wanted him. They just had to see if he was ready to jump back in.
Clearly, he is.
It’s the first major coaching hire for Joe Dumars, the Hall of Famer who took over the Pelicans’ front office last April after a long run in Detroit. Dumars was a legendary Pistons player and then built a championship team as an executive. He came to New Orleans to do it again.
This hiring is how Dumars begins that process.
Mosley, 47, spent five seasons in Orlando, going 189-221 with the Magic. He built them into a legitimate defensive force. They were ranked second in the NBA in defensive efficiency last season. They made three straight playoff appearances under Mosley, but also three straight first-round exits.
The last one, a blown 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons, cost Mosley his job.
Before Orlando, Mosley spent 15 years as an assistant with Cleveland, Denver and Dallas before getting his shot as a head coach.
He inherits a Pelicans team still looking for stability after Willie Green was fired just 12 games into last season. They finished 26-56 overall, going 24-46 under interim coach James Borrego. Zion Williamson remains the centerpiece. Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen give him young pieces to develop.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamahl Mosley hired as Pelicans' new coach following Magic exit
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