Long-time NBA head coach Alvin Gentry, who was fired from his position with the New Orleans Pelicans on August 15th, has reportedly agreed to join head coach Luke Walton’s Sacramento Kings coaching staff as an assistant.
Gentry was fired in August after what many considered to be a disappointing NBA bubble performance which saw his team finish 2-6 and miss out on the playoffs. In five seasons in New Orleans, Gentry’s Pelicans reached the playoffs just once in 2016-17, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.
The North Carolina native has spent parts of 17 seasons as a head coach in the league, compiling a 510-595 record during stints with the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Pelicans.
The 61-year-old coach is no stranger, however, to working as an assistant head coach. He was most notably a key assistant from 2004-2008 with the Phoenix Suns, helping coach the team towards three division titles. His last gig as an assistant was with the Golden State Warriors in the 2014-15 season, which ended with the team winning an NBA title.
Gentry is expected to fit in as a veteran leader on Walton’s coaching staff as the Kings look to take a step forward and make the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
