NBA: Greatest head coach in each team’s franchise history

Greatest head coach in New Orleans Pelicans history: Byron Scott, 2004-2009

With the reforming of an NBA team in Charlotte, the New Orleans Pelicans now chart their birth back to just 2002, when the team first moved to New Orleans. Over those past 17 seasons, the team has had only six coaches, leaving only a few options to choose from.

Of those six, three coached for 82 games or fewer and three coached for over 300 games each. Alvin Gentry, the current coach as of this writing, dealt with injuries and a pining star in Anthony Davis and never put everything together. He will get a new chance with top pick Zion Williamson and a rebuilt core. Gentry replaced Monty Williams, one of the league’s most well-liked figures, but who did a middling job of overseeing Davis’ development.

The best years in New Orleans came before the Davis era when the team’s star was instead a point guard name Chris Paul. Byron Scott coached for five seasons in New Orleans upon leaving the then-New Jersey Nets, coaching in a franchise-high 419 games with 203 wins. His 17 postseason games and eight wins are likewise franchise highs.

Scott never took the team to elite heights, but no other New Orleans coach has. The history of this specific franchise has been more muted, with two series wins in just under two decades.

Scott is not a flashy or household name, but he made it onto this list for two separate franchises. He is and was a solid coach, capable of directing good teams into the playoffs. Not every coach can say the same thing.