Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr spent three seasons working with Willie Green.
Green, [who was fired by the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/e4362002-c480-11ef-bf2c-07b81eb8651e/), was an assistant on Kerr’s staff with the Warriors from 2016-2019.
Kerr spoke about his former colleague Sunday when the Warriors were in town to play the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.
“Of course, I’m disappointed for him and his family,” Kerr said. "We saw each other (Saturday) night and had a chance to talk. He was of course incredibly poised and mature about it. Realistic. He’s been in the league a long time as a player and a coach. So he knows what this is about. He knows this is how things go when things don’t go well. This is how things unfold oftentimes for coaches.”
[Green finished with a 150-190 record](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/38b1c994-1e2c-490f-a9d9-1477f15b086f/). He went just 23-77 in his last 100 games, including a 2-10 record this season. That record included an injury-plagued 2024-’25 season when the team had to use 47 different lineups. Green led the Pelicans to the playoffs twice, becoming one of just three coaches in franchise history to achieve that feat.
“He’s grateful for the opportunity,” Kerr said. “He’s an incredible human being and great friend. I know he will get another chance because he’s a helluva coach and the kind of person you want to coach with or play for.”