Kofi Inkoom
Fred Vinson, a longtime assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans, is departing the team after 14 years to join Monty Williams’ coaching staff with the Detroit Pistons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Vinson, who played professionally in the NBA and various leagues worldwide from 1994 to 2007, began his coaching career in 2008. He spent two years with the Clippers before joining the Pelicans, who were known as the Hornets at the time.
Vinson worked under Williams from 2011 to 2015 and continued with the Pelicans through the tenures of three other head coaches: Alvin Gentry, Stan Van Gundy, and Willie Green. He is especially esteemed for his skills as a shooting coach, as noted by Wojnarowski.
Although Pelicans’ executive Trajan Langdon has the authority to make a head coaching change if he believes it’s best for the team, it seems increasingly unlikely as the offseason progresses that any such change will happen before the 2024/25 season, despite Williams having five years left on his six-year, $78 million contract.