Rajon Rondo reportedly in the mix for an NBA head coaching job

Rajon Rondo spent a season as a player in The Big Easy — could he return years later to lead the franchise?

According to reporting by veteran NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Rondo is under consideration to be the next head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. In fact, the former Kentucky guard has already been interviewed for the position.

“League sources say Rondo has been interviewed for the post after serving as a special assistant on Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee staff,” Stein wrote. “Rondo is said to have felt his first coaching itch while recovering from a torn ACL as a Boston Celtic, prompting Brad Stevens to bring him into staff meetings.”

The Pelicans currently have an interim head coach, James Borrego, filling the head coaching role after the previous head coach, Willie Green, was fired in November.

San Antonio's Sean Sweeney and former All-Star guard Rajon Rondo are among the candidates to emerge in New Orleans' coaching search, league sources tell @JakeLFischer and me.

Just one example of the MANY topics tackled in this Sunday Best compilation of around-the-league Intel:… pic.twitter.com/F5LNYI0rGm

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 26, 2026

Rondo, 40, has no formal experience as an assistant or head coach at the college or NBA level, but he recently filled in as a guest coach for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024-25 preseason. This new reporting indicates he is a serious candidate for the job in New Orleans, where he would have the opportunity to coach the likes of Zion Williamson, Derik Queen, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, and others. The Pelicans have not won more than 26 games in either of the last two seasons.

San Antonio’s Sean Sweeney, Milwaukee’s Darvin Ham, and Brooklyn’s Steve Hetzel, along with Borrego, are also reportedly among the other candidates.

A native of Louisville, Rondo spent two seasons at Kentucky (2004-06), where he averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game as a sophomore. He was the 21st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and went on to enjoy a 16-year pro career with nine different franchises — including one season on the Pelicans alongside Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. He was best known for his time with the Boston Celtics as a four-time All-Star. Rondo also won a pair of championships, one with the Celtics (2008) and another with the Lakers (2020).

Ever since retiring in 2024, Rondo has spent most of his time as a basketball dad (with some flag football mixed in there, too). His son, Pierre Rondo, is arguably the top eighth grader in the state of Kentucky, playing varsity for North Oldham in 2025-26. Pierre was North Oldham’s most productive player during the Mustangs’ run to the Sweet 16 this past season. Rajon was in attendance at Rupp Arena to watch his son play in the tournament.

But Rondo’s next chapter in life could take him into coaching. Will that be with the Pelicans as a head coach?