Rajon Rondo will have to keep searching for first NBA head coaching job

Rajon Rondo will have to wait a bit longer for his first NBA head coaching job.

Rondo had been heavily in the mix to be the next head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans in recent weeks, even interviewing with the franchise and being reported as one of a handful of finalists. NOLA was considering five total candidates after the Willie Green experiment went downhill the last two seasons. Rondo was the only one without any on-court NBA coaching experience.

In the end, the Pelicans went with someone who has a track record. ESPN’s Shams Charania broke news Monday morning that New Orleans is hiring Jamahl Mosley as its next head coach. Charania confirmed in his reporting that Rondo was in fact among the interviewed candidates.

Mosley spent the last five seasons as the head coach of the Orlando Magic, including a streak of three straight playoff appearances that relied on impressive defensive units. But Orlando never made it past the first round and produced just one season with a top 20 offense (19th in 2025-26). Now he’ll try his luck in The Big Easy with plenty of young talent surrounding Zion Williamson. The Pelicans have not won a playoff series since Anthony Davis was leading the charge in 2017-18.

BREAKING: The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring Jamahl Mosley as the franchise's new head coach on a five-year contract, sources tell ESPN. Mosley accepts the Pelicans job after five seasons in Orlando where he guided the Magic to three consecutive playoff berths. pic.twitter.com/MBjDpVG0ra

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 18, 2026

Although Rondo, 40, was not the choice for this job, his time will come eventually. Rondo has spent the last two seasons in a support role with the Milwaukee Bucks and has not been shy about wanting to advance his coaching career. He’s also coaching his son’s AAU team and is never too far from a court. Rondo was even spotted at the 3SSB Session II in Mishawaka, IN, this past weekend. KSR’s Brandon Ramsey snapped a pic of Rondo and Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean sitting together while watching a game.

Mark Pope still needs another assistant to fill out his coaching staff for the upcoming season. Why not make a pit stop in Lexington for a stretch before jumping back into the mix for an NBA gig next offseason, Rajon?