Rajon Rondo among candidates in Pelicans head coaching search

The New Orleans Pelicans are taking a hard look at former NBA guard Rajon Rondo for their head coaching position, per NBA reporter Marc Stein. Rondo is one of at least two possible candidates for the position.

“San Antonio’s Sean Sweeney and former All-Star guard Rajon Rondo are among the candidates to emerge in New Orleans’ coaching search, league sources tell (Jake Fischer) and me,” Stein posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

New Orleans finished the 2025-2026 NBA season with a 26-56 record. James Borrego worked as interim coach for the majority of the season, after Willie Green was fired.

Stein added in a lengthy post on his Substack page that Rondo is very much a possibility for New Orleans.

“League sources say Rondo has been interviewed for the post after serving as a special assistant on Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee staff. Rondo is said to have felt his first coaching itch while recovering from a torn ACL as a Celtic, prompting Brad Stevens to bring him into staff meetings,” Stein wrote.

It appears though that New Orleans is casting a wide net here. The Pelicans have struggled for a good while, and fans are thirsting for the team to be more competitive.

Borrego is a candidate to keep the job after serving as interim coach, Stein reported. Other names in the mix include Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham and Brooklyn’s Steve Hetzel.

Rondo played for the Pelicans for one season, during his long NBA career. He won two NBA championships as a player.