Former NBA Champion Rajon Rondo Leading Candidate for Team’s Head Coaching Job
Rajon Rondo has only been retired for two years, but he's ready to get back into the game in a big way. He's got the coaching bug, and he's apparently a top candidate for the job with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to insider Marc Stein.
REPORT: Rajon Rondo interviewed for the New Orleans Pelicans’ head coaching job & he is a top candidate to be hired by them, according to Marc Stein.
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 27, 2026
actually one more former Pelicans point guard who’s been involved in the early stages of New Orleans search: Four-time NBA… pic.twitter.com/yMUIpFDd0P
"There's actually one more former Pelicans point guard who’s been involved in the early stages of New Orleans search: Four-time NBA All-Star guard Rajon Rondo," reported Stein.
"League sources say Rondo has been interviewed for the post after serving as a special assistant on Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee staff. Rondo is said to have felt his first coaching itch while recovering from a torn ACL as a Celtic, prompting Brad Stevens to bring him into staff meetings,” Stein added.
There are reports that interim head coach James Borrego is considered a long shot to earn the full-time gig, as Pels Executive Vice President Joe Dumars looks for a new leader for his troops.
Rondo has no head coaching experience, but is a frontrunner for Pelicans job
The 40-year-old Rondo has no formal experience as an assistant or head coach at the college or NBA level. But he was always renowned for having a high basketball IQ as a point guard, and some have said he ran his teams on the floor with "coach-like anticipation and composure."
He spent one season in New Orleans as a player, in 2017-18.
Rondo has two NBA titles on his resume from his playing days, one as the floor general of the Boston Celtics in 2008, and one as a valued backup point guard for the LA Lakers in 2020.
Overall, Rondo played 16 seasons in the NBA and finished with career marks of 9.8 ppg and 7.9 assists.
Two other candidates that have been mentioned for the Pelicans job are former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.
New Orleans finished the 2025-26 season with a 26-56 record, and the 11 seed in the West, a full 11 games back of a Play-In spot.
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