Jamahl Mosley was not unemployed for long after being let go by the Orlando Magic.
Mosley has agreed to a five-year contract to coach the New Orleans Pelicans. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Pelicans see themselves as being at a similar point in development to where the Magic were when they hired Mosley, and believe he is the right coach to take them into the playoffs.
Sources said top Pelicans officials maintained consistent communication with Mosley since he was dismissed by the Magic on May 4 and the sides formally met in person last week at the NBA draft combine in Chicago.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 18, 2026
The Pelicans believe the franchise is at a point similar to… https://t.co/GfaFWMCGeK
Mosley never actually got out of the first round as Orlando’s head coach, but he led the team there for three straight seasons. For a Pelicans franchise that has only made the postseason in two of the last eight seasons, that would qualify as a step forward.
The Pelicans have coveted Mosley for a while, indicating just how serious they were about landing him. He was clearly their No. 1 target, and it doesn’t appear that they even looked that hard at anyone else once he became available.
Mosley went 189-221 in five seasons coaching the Magic. While they did get progressively better during most of his tenure, he had fallen out with his star player and lost his job after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
