Alvin Gentry selected as new coach of New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Alvin Gentry to be their next head coach, the team announced late Saturday night.

Gentry, a Golden State Warriors assistant, agreed to a deal after he interviewed in New Orleans for a second time this week. ESPN reported that the Pelicans selected Gentry over NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.

“I’m truly honored for the opportunity to lead the Pelicans as their head coach and am anxious to get started,” Gentry said in a statement.

Gentry will remain with the Warriors through the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The series starts Thursday night.

“We are excited to announce that Alvin Gentry is the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans,” general manager Dell Demps said. “We warmly welcome Alvin and his family to the Pelicans organization. After assessing our team, along with the core values of the Pelicans, we created a list of characteristics and qualities we wanted in our head coach. We conducted an extensive coaching search that identified Alvin Gentry as the right person to lead our team.”

The Pelicans fired Monty Williams on May 12 after five seasons as coach and a first-round playoff exit. With star forward Anthony Davis anchoring the roster, the job is considered an attractive opportunity.

Gentry will be the sixth head coach in New Orleans franchise history.

“We are thrilled to have Alvin join our organization,” Pelicans owner Tom Benson said. “He has proven himself as a winner and is in the midst of helping the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. We look forward to having him lead our team.”

Recently ousted Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was one of the names prominently mentioned in connection with the Pelicans’ job before it went to Gentry.

Gentry has 12 years of NBA head coaching experience with the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat. In 2010, he led the Suns to the Western Conference finals.

Gentry has a 335-370 career record, including 158-144 in five years with the Suns. He also worked in New Orleans in 2003-04 as an assistant.

Last May, Gentry joined the Warriors as associate head coach and offensive coordinator after Steve Kerr was hired as head coach. The Warriors won 67 games during the regular season and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975.

“I’m extremely happy for Alvin and wish him the best of luck in this new challenge,” Kerr said in a statement Saturday night. “He’s had a tremendous impact on the success of our team this season and, personally, has been instrumental in my development as a head coach. His experience as a head coach in the NBA has been invaluable during my first season and will, likewise, serve the Pelicans well as they move forward. Our loss is New Orleans’ gain and I know he’ll do an outstanding job with the Pelicans once the NBA Finals are completed.”