Pelicans Interim Coach Borrego Impresses With Recent Surge

Borrego's bold moves and offensive-minded coaching have the Pelicans trending up late in the season.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 7:41pm

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The New Orleans Pelicans' search for a permanent head coach should end with interim coach James Borrego, who has led the team to a 7-3 record in their last 10 games after taking over for the fired Willie Green earlier this season. Borrego's offensive-focused approach and willingness to hold players accountable have helped the Pelicans improve their scoring and efficiency in recent weeks, despite key lineup changes.

Why it matters

With the Pelicans likely to miss the playoffs for the second straight season, the front office needs to provide stability by removing Borrego's interim tag and making him the permanent head coach. Borrego's familiarity with the roster and ability to get the most out of the team's young talent could be crucial as the Pelicans look to build towards the future, especially with their 2027 first-round pick traded away.

The details

After a 2-10 start to the season, the Pelicans fired former coach Willie Green and promoted Borrego from his assistant role. While the team's overall record under Borrego is 20-35, they have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, including five straight double-digit wins. Borrego, known as an offensive-minded coach, has helped the Pelicans improve their scoring, field goal percentage, three-point shooting, and assist-to-turnover ratio over the last 15 games. He's also made bold moves, like benching veteran scorer Jordan Poole, to hold players accountable and put the best lineups on the floor.

  • The Pelicans fired former head coach Willie Green just a few weeks into the season.
  • Borrego took over as interim head coach after Green's dismissal.
  • Over the last 10 games, the Pelicans have gone 7-3 under Borrego's leadership.

The players

James Borrego

The Pelicans' interim head coach who has led the team to a 7-3 record in their last 10 games after taking over for the fired Willie Green earlier this season. Borrego is known as an offensive-minded coach and has made bold moves to hold players accountable and put the best lineups on the floor.

Willie Green

The former Pelicans head coach who was fired just a few weeks into the season. Green was known as a defensive-minded coach, but his offenses were too stagnant at times, leading to his dismissal.

Jordan Poole

The Pelicans' premier offseason acquisition, who was coming off a career year with the Washington Wizards last season. Poole has struggled with his shot for most of the year, leading interim coach Borrego to bench him in 15 of the last 20 games.

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What they’re saying

“Proud of you guys,”

— James Borrego, Pelicans Interim Head Coach (Twitter)

What’s next

The Pelicans' front office will need to decide whether to remove Borrego's interim tag and make him the permanent head coach for next season.

The takeaway

Borrego's offensive-minded approach and willingness to hold players accountable have helped the Pelicans turn things around in recent weeks, providing a strong case for the front office to make him the permanent head coach and provide much-needed stability as the team looks to build towards the future.