According to numerous published reports, the New Orleans Pelicans sat down with former NBA head coach (and current TV talking head) Jeff Van Gundy to discuss their coaching vacancy this week.
Scott Skiles—who’s been linked to the job in Orlando—and Golden State Warriors associate coach Alvin Gentry are also in the running for the gig.
When asked directly Wednesday if he wants to coach Anthony Davis, the 53-year-old JVG squirmed and danced around the question (while basically conceding that, yes, any coach would be crazy to turn down the opportunity.)
Per The Times Picayune :
New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps met with Jeff Van Gundy on Tuesday in San Francisco, league sources confirmed.
On Wednesday, Van Gundy, 53, declined to acknowledge on the “Dan Patrick Show” if he has been contacted by the New Orleans Pelicans for their vacant head-coaching job. […] Until Van Gundy, Golden State lead assistant Alvin Gentry was the only known candidate who had formally interviewed. But sources say Demps, who’s conducting the search with executive VP Mickey Loomis, doesn’t have a frontrunner for job which became vacant on May 12 when Monty Williams was fired after five seasons.
When asked on the ”Dan Patrick” show if he would like to coach Davis, Van Gundy said: “There is no one who ever coached that wouldn’t want to coach a great player with great character. And so I’ve been able to do that in my life. I’ve already coached a player with a great character and you know how important that is if you want to win big in a situation. I had Patrick Ewing, Yao Ming and (Tracy) McGrady in Houston, (Charles) Oakley and all these guys. […] “Anybody who that says, nah … I wouldn’t want to coach (Davis) who is a top-five player and a great person, I wouldn’t believe that if someone said that.”
