Coach Hop, the long-time former Syracuse basketball assistant coach and Orange player, is headed home. Sort of.
Per media reports from ESPN's Pete Thamel and others, the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans have hired Mike Hopkins as an assistant coach and head of player development, which is just fabulous news.
The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Mike Hopkins as an assistant coach/head of player development, per the team. Hopkins spent last season with the Phoenix Suns, worked as the head coach at Washington (2017-2024) and was a long-time assistant at Syracuse (1995-2017). pic.twitter.com/9XbU7r4KtN
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 5, 2025
A huge congrats to Hop, an all-around good guy who excels in player development and recruiting.
I say that Hopkins is headed home, because in New Orleans, he will reunite with another former Syracuse basketball assistant, Troy Weaver, who is the Pelicans' senior vice president of basketball operations.
Both Hopkins and Weaver were on the 'Cuse staff when Syracuse basketball won its first and only national championship in 2003. Oh, and that season, the Orange captured the title in New Orleans, which was the site of the 2003 Final Four.
Fun things.
Former Syracuse basketball assistant Mike Hopkins is continuing his NBA coaching journey.
Last season, Hopkins served as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns. Before that, from 2017 to 2024, he was the head coach at Washington, where he compiled an overall mark of 118–106 and was twice named the Pac-12 Conference coach of the year.
On the Hill, Hop played for the Orange from 1989 to 1993. A guard, he tallied career averages of 5.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while making 46.2 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from beyond the arc and 67.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Hopkins, per cuse.com, was an assistant coach with Syracuse basketball from 1995 until 2017. He was named the program's head coach-designate in June of 2015 but took the Washington job in March of 2017.
In his new role, Hopkins will try to help New Orleans get back on track. The Pelicans, in the 2024-25 season, sported an awful 21-61 record. The team does have a talented roster, though.
Power forward Zion Williamson is the headliner, with other standouts such as shooting guard Jordan Poole, shooting guard Dejounte Murray, small forward Herbert Jones, forward Kevon Looney and guard Jordan Hawkins, among others.
Interestingly enough, New Orlean's roster also features several former Syracuse basketball recruiting targets, including center Hunter Dickinson, center Yves Missi and center Derik Queen.
Orange Nation wishes Hop a ton of success in his new venture!