The news
The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring Jamahl Mosley as their next head coach on a five-year deal, per Shams Charania. Mosley departs the Orlando Magic after five seasons, walking away from a job that produced three playoff appearances in that span. He replaces James Borrego, who had been running the bench on an interim basis after Willie Green was dismissed earlier in the season.
Prior context
Mosley went 189-221 in the regular season in Orlando, but the win-loss line undersells the build. Hired in July 2021 after seven seasons as a Dallas Mavericks assistant — where he served as defensive coordinator beginning in 2018-19 — he was credited internally with establishing the Magic's young core and defensive identity.
Orlando's 2025-26 season was viewed as a disappointment in-house, which opened the door for a coaching change there this summer. New Orleans had deliberately slow-played its search to make sure Mosley got full consideration, with Darvin Ham also linked to the opening.
The résumé in brief
- Five seasons as Orlando head coach (2021-2026)
- 189-221 regular-season record with the Magic
- Three playoff appearances in five years
- Seven seasons as a Dallas assistant before Orlando, rising to defensive coordinator in 2018-19
- Replaces interim coach James Borrego in New Orleans
What it means
For the Pelicans, this is a stability play after a turbulent stretch that saw Green dismissed and Borrego bridging the gap. Mosley inherits a roster that has underachieved relative to its talent, and his track record of installing defensive structure and developing young pieces is the explicit reason the front office held the search open for him.
For Orlando, the timing is sharper. The Magic now have to find a successor capable of building on the foundation Mosley spent five years laying — not a rebuild, but a handoff.
What to watch next
Watch for the Pelicans' staff build-out around Mosley and Orlando's next coaching move, with both franchises signaling competing timelines on the same offseason board.