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Pelicans.com

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the additions and changes to Head Coach Alvin Gentry’s coaching staff. Chris Finch has been named Associate Head Coach, Offense. Jeff Bzdelik (Associate Head Coach, Defense) and Jamelle McMillan (Assistant Coach) join Fred Vinson on the coaching staff. Joe Boylan has been elevated to Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development, while Michael Ruffin has been promoted to Assistant coach/Player Development.

“We are extremely pleased to have finalized our coaching staff,” said Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “This is a collection of diverse, dedicated and passionate individuals with years of experience and knowledge as both players and teachers of the game.”

Finch, who most recently served as an assistant coach on Gentry’s staff the previous two seasons, will enter his first year as the team’s associate head coach. During the 2017-18 season, Finch helped the Pelicans offense finish the season ranked first in pace (101.5), 12th in offensive rating (108.5) and third in points per game (111.7). As an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets during the 2016-17 season, Finch oversaw an offense that finished the season ranked fourth in offensive rating (112.2) and third in points per game (111.7).

Prior to joining the Nuggets, Finch spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets from 2011-16 as well as two seasons with the Rockets’ NBA Development League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. While serving as head coach of the Vipers, Finch registered a record of 67-33 (.670) and guided the team to consecutive appearances in the NBA D-League finals. In 2009-10, Finch received the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award en route to capturing the 2010 NBA D-League championship.

Bzdelik enters his first season as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Bzdelik served as associate head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2016-2019. With a focus on improving the team’s defense, the Rockets ranked third in the NBA in defensive rating over their final 45 games in 2017-18 on their way to recording a franchise record 65 wins.  Houston won over 70-percent of its games in Bzdelik’s three seasons on Mike D’Antoni’s staff.

Prior to joining the Rockets, Bzdelik spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies. During that stretch, the Grizzlies allowed the fifth fewest points of any team in the league. In 2002, Bzdelik was named head coach of the Denver Nuggets. In his second season, Bzdelik guided the Nuggets to their first playoff appearance in nine years.  Bzdelik also served as a head coach on the collegiate level for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1986-88), Air Force (2005-07), Colorado (2007-10), and Wake Forest (2010-14).

McMillan returns to the Pelicans after spending the 2018-19 season as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. McMillan spent six seasons previously with the Pelicans, serving as a player development coach from 2013-16 before being elevated to an assistant coach from 2016-18.

Boylan joined the Pelicans last season as an assistant coach/player development coach. Prior to coming to New Orleans, Boylan was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff, serving in a player development role, as well as serving as the associate head coach of their G League affiliate, the Iowa Energy. The Emerson College graduate went to Memphis after serving as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA G League during the 2014-15 season, and three seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2011-14, serving first as a video coordinator, then adding player development and assistant coaching duties.

Ruffin enters his first season as an assistant coach/player development after spending the last five seasons in a player development role. Ruffin, who additionally served as the team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2015-19, was a nine-year NBA veteran after being selected No. 32 overall in 1999 out of Tulsa, appearing in 414 career games with Chicago, Philadelphia, Utah, Washington, Milwaukee and Portland, and also played internationally in Spain.

pelicans-announce-coaching-staff-additions-and-changes

Pelicans announce coaching staff additions and changes

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that Chris Finch has been hired as an assistant coach on Alvin Gentry’s staff.

“I’m very excited to welcome Chris to the Pelicans organization,” said Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our coaching staff, and will be an integral part of our program as we move forward.”

Most recently, Finch served as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets during the 2016-17 season after spending five seasons on the Houston Rockets coaching staff. Prior to joining the Rockets in 2011, Finch served as the head coach of Houston’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he guided the team to consecutive appearances in the D-League Finals. In 2009-10, Finch was the recipient of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award en route to capturing the 2010 D-League championship.

Prior to his experience in the United States, Finch built a successful overseas coaching career that included taking over the Great Britain National Team in May 2006 and winning FIBA’s 2007 Division B Promotional Competition. In 2009, his team qualified for the European Championships for the first time since 1981. Finch also led the British National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In addition to his work with the British National Team, Finch was a head coach of teams in England (Sheffield Sharks), Germany (Giessen 46ers) and Belgium (Euphony Bree, Dexia Mons-Hainaut) from 1997-2009. Finch, who has three titles and three BBL Cup Finals on his resume, qualified for the playoffs in 11 of his 12 seasons overseas. A three-time Coach of the Year, he was also selected as a FIBA EuroCup All-Star head coach. He began his career with Sheffield, which was the same club that he played on during his four-year professional playing career. Under Finch’s tutelage, the Sharks enjoyed the franchise’s most successful run in its history. Finch was named the BBL Coach of the Year after winning the regular season title with Sheffield in 1998-99. He also led Euphony Bree to their first-ever championship in 2005.

Raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, Finch graduated in 1992 as a two-time All-American at Franklin & Marshall College, and was inducted into the F&M Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

pelicans-add-chris-finch-to-coaching-staff

Pelicans Add Chris Finch to Coaching Staff

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Saints and Pelicans announced today that Stephen Pate has been named Senior Director of Community and Governmental Affairs.

Pate will oversee community affairs for both organizations, coordinating all charitable, community and youth initiatives. He will also assist in managing the teams’ relationships with state and local government agencies and officials as the Saints and Pelicans continue to serve communities across the Gulf South.

“We are really proud of the work Stephen has done since he joined our team,” said Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson. “His work is exemplary and we know he’ll do a great job in his new position. Stephen is a hard-working, polite and determined person and I’m excited to see him take our work in the community to a new level across the state.”

“Since joining the Saints, Stephen has demonstrated his commitment to representing the organization positively in all aspects of his work,” said Saints and Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. “We’ve had the opportunity to watch him develop over the last seven years and are thrilled to announce his new role with the Saints and Pelicans. Stephen’s ability to build strong, trusting relationships is a testament to his character and we are confident that the combination of that and his understanding of the collective goals of both organizations will make him successful in his new position and further our positive impact in the Gulf South.”

After starting his tenure with the Saints in 2008 as the manager of business and marketing operations, Pate was promoted to director of Champions Square and Saints initiatives in 2011. During that time, he oversaw Saints-related events in Champions Square and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as well as planned and executed all business/marketing and sponsorship-related events. Additionally, Pate was the lead in coordinating and ensuring the success of the Saints Kickoff Run presented by Chevron, an event that has made over $150,000 in donations to several local and national non-profit organizations in its first three years.

Prior to joining the Saints, Pate worked for SMG at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Smoothie King Center as the coordinator of events. He started his career under Hall of Fame women’s college basketball coach Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech working for six years in the Lady Techsters’ basketball operations department.

A native of Castor, La. and graduate of Louisiana Tech, Pate serves as the VP of Development for the Young Leadership Council, as well as on the boards of the Children’s Bureau and the St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church. He also was a member of the host committee for Super Bowl XLVII.

stephen-pate-named-saints-and-pelicans-senior-director-of-community-and-governmental-affairs

Stephen Pate Named Saints and Pelicans Senior Director of Community and Governmental Affairs

NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the hiring and promotion of several members of the team’s basketball operations staff.
Duane Brooks, who brings over two decades of experience in his field, enters his first season as head athletic trainer with the New Orleans Pelicans after spending the previous 13 seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ assistant athletic trainer. Brooks is responsible for the health care, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, daily training room operations and maintenance of the team’s medical records.

Jason Sumerlin joins the Pelicans as assistant strength and conditioning coach, where he will assist with the athletic development and training of players. Prior to joining New Orleans, Sumerlin spent five seasons as the assistant strength coach for the San Antonio Spurs.

Jared Lewis begins his first season with the Pelicans in the role of physical therapist, where he will oversee players’ prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Lewis, a Northeastern University graduate, previously worked as a physical therapist with Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine of Norton, MA.

Jamelle McMillan has been elevated to player development coach after serving as a coaching intern for the Pelicans the past two seasons. McMillan came to New Orleans in 2012 from Drake University where he served as the director of basketball operations after playing four years at Arizona State University.

Terrance “Doc” Martin adds the role of player development coach to his director of player programs title, which he’s held the past two seasons. Martin served as a scout for the Pelicans from 2010-12 after spending the three previous years in Portland as a collegiate scout for the Trail Blazers. A four-year letterman from the University of Alabama, Martin also has experience as an assistant coach on the NBA Summer League teams for Portland and San Antonio.

Michael Ruffin enters his first season with the Pelicans as player development coach. Ruffin, who played nine seasons in the NBA, coached the ABA’s Colorado Kings in 2010-11 before continuing his professional basketball career in Spain.

Matt Whinrey has been promoted to head video coordinator after serving as the team’s assistant video coordinator last season. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Whinrey was an NBA regional scout and basketball operations assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After graduating from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009, Whinrey worked as a student assistant for the men’s basketball team before being named an assistant coach from 2010-2012.

Jason Brown has been named assistant video coordinator after working one season as the Pelicans’ video intern. Brown previously served as the Charlotte Bobcats’ video intern in 2012-13, a collegiate scout for NetScouts Basketball in 2011-12, and a Philadelphia 76ers video intern and youth programs assistant in 2011.

Bryson Graham has been promoted to scouting coordinator after spending the last two seasons as the Pelicans video coordinator. Graham previously served as the team’s player development director/basketball operations associate in 2011-12 and was a front office intern in 2010-11.

pelicans-announce-basketball-operations-staff-additions-and-promotions

Pelicans Announce Basketball Operations Staff Additions and Promotions

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