Jamahl Mosley has been appointed as the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, following his tenure with the Orlando Magic, which ended in April after the team was eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Orlando led 3-1 and had a 24-point lead in the decisive seventh game but ultimately lost to the Detroit Pistons.

Mosley’s five-year stint with Orlando resulted in 189 wins and 221 losses. He guided the team to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and won the Southeast Division title twice, yet the team failed to advance past the first round each time. James Borrego, who served as the interim coach for 70 games after replacing the fired Willie Green, was also a candidate for the position. Under Borrego, the team improved from a 2-10 record to 24-46 by the end of the season, though they still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Borrego expressed his desire to become the Pelicans' permanent head coach, confident that he could achieve more consistent results in a full season. The Pelicans' senior vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, stated that while Borrego was a candidate, they sought a coach from outside the organization. Mosley, who previously served as an assistant coach in Dallas and Cleveland, is the third coach for New Orleans since Dumars took over the role.