Pelicans hire Mike Hopkins

Aug 5, 2025 10:37 AM

The New Orleans Pelicans announced the hiring of Mike Hopkins as an assistant coach and head of player development. The move was confirmed by the team and first reported by Pete Thamel on X.

Hopkins joins the Pelicans after spending the 2024–25 season as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns. Before that, he served as head coach at the University of Washington from 2017 to 2024. He also spent over two decades as an assistant coach at Syracuse University from 1995 to 2017.

The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Mike Hopkins as an assistant coach/head of player development, per the team. Hopkins spent last season with the Phoenix Suns, worked as the head coach at Washington (2017-2024) and was a long-time assistant at Syracuse (1995-2017). pic.twitter.com/9XbU7r4KtN
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 5, 2025

During his college coaching career, Hopkins won an NCAA championship with Syracuse in 2003 and led Washington to a Pac-12 regular-season title in 2019. He earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors twice, in 2018 and 2019.

The Pelicans, entering their 24th NBA season, are aiming to build a strong coaching staff around head coach Willie Green. Hopkins will take charge of player development while assisting the coaching staff in game preparation.

New Orleans recently strengthened its roster with first-round draft picks Jeremiah Fears and Asa Newell. The team is focused on developing young talent, making Hopkins’ experience particularly valuable.