Stan Van Gundy is finally ready to dish on his Pelicans departure, issuing his first public comments since New Orleans ousted him last month. “I wouldn’t say it was joint,” Van Gundy revealed to Jon “Stugotz” Weiner Friday during his appearance on Stupodity. “I don’t want to be somewhere they don’t want me. And they didn’t want me. I wasn’t at that point going to fight to try to stay there. It wasn’t a mutual decision.”
Van Gundy lasted just a single season in the Big Easy, coaching the Pelicans to an underwhelming 31-41 record while frequently butting heads with GM David Griffin. “We just looked at coaching totally different,” said Van Gundy regarding his strained relationship with Griffin, as transcribed by Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We were on two totally different pages.”
It’s been suggested Zion Williamson’s recent frustration with the organization may have been a factor in Van Gundy’s dismissal (framed by the Pelicans as a “mutual parting”), though the 61-year-old denies that had anything to do with it. “I hate when it gets put on players that players are getting coaches fired and things like that,” expressed Van Gundy, who could be headed back to the broadcasting ranks, perhaps alongside his brother, Jeff, at ESPN. “Zion’s no coach killer.”
Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Phoenix’s Willie Green are thought to be leading candidates as the Pelicans continue their coaching search (Jacque Vaughn was also in the running before opting to remain in Brooklyn), though Van Gundy has a different name in mind for his replacement. “If it were me, I’d stay in house and go with Fred Vinson because I worry about how these young guys are now on their third coach in three years,” said Van Gundy, endorsing Vinson, who was granted an interview earlier this week. “For the guys like [Brandon] Ingram who came from L.A., it’s his fourth coach in four years because he went from Luke Walton to Alvin Gentry to me. I think that’s hard for anybody if the system, the terminology is changing, but especially for young guys.”
The Celtics (Ime Udoka), Mavericks (Jason Kidd), Pacers (Rick Carlisle) and Trail Blazers (Chauncey Billups) have all announced new coaching hires in the past week, though vacancies still remain in New Orleans, Orlando and Washington.
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