Celtics may need new defensive coordinator with Erman reportedly off to New Orleans
Celtics assistant coach Darren Erman is leaving Boston to become the associate head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowksi.
Erman, a defensive specialist, will oversee the Pelicans’ D as the top assistant to their new head coach Alvin Gentry, who was hired this past weekend after overseeing the Golden State Warriors NBA-best offense this year. Erman worked under Tom Thibodeau when he was the Celtics’ top assistant under Doc Rivers.
Erman coached at Golden State too, molding the Warriors’ defense into a top-3 unit in the 2013-2014 season. But he was fired by former Warriors coach Mark Jackson for reportedly secretly recording coaches’ meetings and interactions with players before coming back to Boston first as the Celtics’ director of NBA scouting and then an assistant to head coach Brad Stevens.
Wojnarowski also reports that the Toronto Raptors were also in pursuit of Erman to head up their defense, but the allure of working with Anthony Davis in New Orleans wound up being the difference in his decision.
This is the second consecutive offseason in which the Celtics have lost their top defensive assistant. Last year it was Ron Adams who departed, moving on to Golden State.
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