Former Syracuse Coach Mike Hopkins Joins Pelicans Staff

Mike Hopkins, former Syracuse University player and coach, has been hired by the New Orleans Pelicans as an assistant coach and head of player development. Hopkins spent the 2024–25 NBA season with the Phoenix Suns before joining the Pelicans and previously served as head coach at the University of Washington from 2017 to 2024, compiling a 118-106 record and earning two NCAA tournament appearances. He was a long-time Syracuse assistant coach from 1995 to 2017 and won an NCAA championship with the Orange in 2003. The Pelicans, led by head coach Willie Green, are focusing on developing young talent, including recent draft picks Jeremiah Fears and Asa Newell, making Hopkins' player development expertise valuable. Hopkins will join Troy Weaver, another former Syracuse assistant now serving as the Pelicans’ senior vice president of basketball operations, reconnecting a coaching partnership dating back to the 2003 NCAA title team. This move represents a significant opportunity for Hopkins to leverage his extensive coaching background in college and the NBA to help the Pelicans rebuild after a challenging 21-61 season.