The New Orleans Pelicans named James Borrego as interim head coach after the firing of Willie Green on Saturday.
Here are five things to know about Borrego, a 47-year old New Mexico native.
James Borrego's resume
Borrego has over two decades of coaching experience in the NBA. He began coaching in the NBA in 2003 as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. He was part of two NBA championship teams in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich when the Spurs won titles in 2005 and 2007.
He has experience in New Orleans
Prior to this current stint with the Pelicans, Borrego was an assistant for the then-New Orleans Pelicans from 2010-2012 under former coach Monty Williams.
Head coach stint
Borrego has head coaching experience in the NBA. He was head coach of the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons from 2018-2022. He also was an interim head coach of the Orlando Magic in the 2014-’15 season when the Magic fired Jacque Vaughn. Including his time as an interim coach, Borrego has a 148-183 record.
Candidate for other jobs
Borrego is likely to land a head coaching job again. This past offseason, he was in consideration for the New York Knicks head coaching job. Last season, he was considered for head coaching jobs with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James Borrego's reputation
Borrego has earned a reputation as having a sharp offensive mind. In his final season with the Hornets in 2021-22, Charlotte ranked eighth in offensive efficiency, sixth in 3-point attempts and fifth in pace. The Hornets finished with a 43-39 record that season and haven’t won 30 games in a season since.