Former Pelicans GM Dell Demps Reportedly Joins Jazz Coaching Staff as Assistant

Former New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps will reportedly join the Utah Jazz to serve as an assistant coach beginning next season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Wojnarowski noted that Demps decided to transition to coaching after getting fired by the Pelicans last year. In preparation, Demps attended Jazz practices and participated in meetings with Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and the rest of the staff.

From 2007-10, Demps was the general manager of the NBA G League's Austin Toros, and Snyder served as the team's head coach during that time.

Demps was hired as GM of the Pelicans franchise in 2010, and during his nine years as general manager, New Orleans reached the playoffs three times. His most notable move as GM was selecting Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

While Demps has never coached, his status as a former player means he should command instant respect from current players in his new role.

Demps starred collegiately at Pacific, and although he went undrafted in 1992, he managed to carve out a brief career as an NBA player. Over the course of three seasons, he appeared in 20 games for the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic.

The Long Beach, California, native also played professionally all over the world, including stints in France, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, the Philippines and Venezuela.

Demps will join a Jazz team that has been consistently solid during Snyder's tenure. Utah missed the playoffs in his first two seasons at the helm, but the Jazz have qualified for the postseason in each of the past four campaigns.

Snyder is 271-211 with two playoff series wins in the difficult Western Conference, although they blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round of this year's playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.

While the Jazz have been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs under Snyder, a core of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert is strong, and it is understandable why Demps wanted a chance to join the organization.