Hornets assistant reportedly emerging as a candidate for NBA head coaching job

The 42-year-old assistant will be entering his 15th year at the NBA level next season. Before joining the Hornets coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season, he spent four seasons coaching under Billy Donovan in Chicago. Longstaff also spent time in Atlanta under Mike Budenholzer, even serving as the head coach of Atlanta’s G-League team, the Erie BayHawks. 

Before pursuing a career in coaching, Longstaff played four years of college basketball at Bryant University in Rhode Island. During his time with the Bulldogs, he was coached by current Washington Wizards head coach, Brian Keefe. After Longstaff’s playing days were over, the two coached together on the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks.

During the 2024 NBA Summer League, Longstaff served as the Hornets' head coach, leading them to a 7-1 record, helping them reach a 3-0 record in the California Classic. 

After the team’s impressive Summer League performance, Longstaff had some strong praise for the Hornets organization. 

“From top to bottom, ownership, the front office, and Charles as a head coach brought in people that think about the players first, we want to be a player-first organization and do everything first class.” said Longstaff.

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