New Orleans Pelicans

Here are five coaches who could replace Monty Williams

Published May. 13, 2015 11:53 a.m. ET

foxsports

With Monty Williams gone, the New Orleans Pelicans have a very important decision to make: Who should be their next head coach? It won't be an easy job, but candidates will still line up around the block for the opportunity to coach the monster who is Anthony Davis.

Kurt Helin from NBC's Pro Basketball Talk has compiled a list of five candidates:

"This is now the best open coaching job in the NBA, and you only need two words to know why: Anthony Davis. This is a team with one of the top three players in the NBA (top five at worst). While there is work to be done. no other team with a coaching vacancy has that foundation. But with that opportunity will come a lot of pressure on the coach — you have to get this team winning to keep Davis long term. There is pressure on the organization to make the right hire (and add talent to the roster). Next season the Pelican’s roster likely looks similar to this season’s, so a lot of the improvement will need to be internal, and that falls on the coach."

The names on this list are those most NBA fans probably expect—talented gentleman with winning backgrounds and a high basketball IQ.

Even though it's highly unlikely Davis doesn't give himself the opportunity to leave as a free agent for roughly another five years, the Pelicans can't afford to whiff on this hire.

(h/t: Pro Basketball Talk)

Photo Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo