Who is Willie Green? Here are 5 things to know about new Pelicans head coach

Willie Green hasn't served as an assistant coach for a particularly long time, but that time has included more than its share of title runs.

Willie Green, 39, began his coaching career as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016-'17 season. Serving on Steve Kerr's staff, Green helped lead the Warriors to an NBA title in his first two seasons, defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers both times. The Warriors went to the finals again in the 2019 season, but fell to the Toronto Raptors after losing stars Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant to season-ending injuries.

He signed on with Monty Williams and the Phoenix Suns before the 2019-20 season. Phoenix missed the playoffs that season, but not without a late charge. The Suns went a perfect 8-0 in the NBA's bubble, finishing just outside the play-in. The team didn't waste that momentum, adding veteran superstar Chris Paul and running to the NBA Finals against former Pelicans star Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Willie Green didn't spend long in New Orleans, but he has played games with the city's name slapped across the front of his jersey.

Green was drafted in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night, where he played until 2010. The next season he and forward Jason Smith were traded to the then-Hornets for forward Darius Songaila and rookie Craig Brackins. Green played in 77 games that season, starting 13, while averaging 8.7 points and 1.5 rebounds.

Green was a teammate of Paul and David West on that roster, a team that finished 46-36 and earned the No. 7 seed in the western conference playoff field. New Orleans fell 4-2 to the L.A. Lakers in the first round. Green signed with the Atlanta Hawks the following season.

He also played for the L.A. Clippers and Orlando Magic before retiring after the 2014-'15 season.

Willie Green is taking over a Pelicans roster filled with young, top draft picks out of top-shelf programs. But his journey to the NBA and his first job as a head coach was much different.

The two biggest Pelicans stars are Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, both of whom played for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke.

Green starred at since-closed Cooley High School in Detroit before playing four seasons at Detroit-Mercy. He averaged 22.6 points and five rebounds per game during his senior season in 2002 as his team went 18-12. He was the Horizon League scoring leader that season and named to the Horizon League All-Tournament team. Green never played in the NCAA Tournament in college, a rarity for an NBA draft pick, but did help lead the Titans to a 4th-place NIT finish during his sophomore season.

The Pelicans went with an established name for their last hire in Stan Van Gundy, and while they went with more of an unknown commodity to replace him, he's got a vote of confidence from one of the most established names in coaching.

That person is current Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, who coached Green as a player during his time with the L.A. Clippers. Green was again teammates with Chris Paul, and Rivers' viewed him as a steadying presence in what could be a contentious locker room, according to a report from NOLA.com.

“He just has that rare thing,” Rivers said in the report. “The ability to tell you the straight truth without offending you. There are not a lot of people on earth like that.”

When asked about the biggest lesson he learned this pas season coaching the Suns, Green had an answer that likely endeared him to the Pelicans front office.

Because that lesson was about his realization that being a successful head coach is about a lot more than strategy.

"The greatest coaches or the best coaches aren't necessarily the ones that talk about Xs and Os. It's doing everything from a place of love. People feel that. And if I can develop a relationship with players, coaches, front office, and I can be critical, but of love, I think they can receiver it better. It's not how well I draw up a play or how much I get on you or discipline, or how great I am. But it's how much people feel that you love them, that you care about them."

That answer and philosophy like struck a chord with the Pelicans, which fired Van Gundy over what Executive Vice President David Griffin described as "philosophical differences." Van Gundy later spoke in interviews and expanded on some of those issues, some of which arose from the value of success on the court not being the litmus test for how the team was developing.