Virtually every new NBA head coach brings in some new assistants, as Alvin Gentry officially did Monday, when he announced that Darren Erman and Robert Pack would be part of the New Orleans Pelicans staff in 2015-16.
But in taking a page from Steve Kerr’s successful book in Golden State, Gentry also gave credit to the work of New Orleans’ previous staff, most tangibly by making the decision to retain incumbent assistants Fred Vinson and Kevin Hanson.
Erman, who will serve as associate head coach, is Gentry’s point man in fixing the Pelicans’ 22nd-ranked defense.
Pack, a former NBA point guard who was an assistant for the 2009-10 New Orleans Hornets, was part of Oklahoma City’s staff last season but was not retained when the Thunder's head coach changed from Scott Brooks to Billy Donovan.