The New Orleans Pelicans have hired former Appalachian State University men's basketball player and alum Alvin Gentry as its new head coach for the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season.

As a four-year member of the Mountaineer basketball program from 1973-77, Gentry averaged 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game with a .493 shooting percentage while playing for both Press Maravich and Bobby Cremins.

The Pelicans will be the fifth NBA franchise Gentry has led as a head coach. He served as head coach of the Miami Heat in 1994-95, the Detroit Pistons from 1997-2000, the Los Angeles Clippers from 2000-2002 and then had his longest tenure with the Phoenix Suns from 2008-2013.

He won a career-high 54 games with the Suns during the 2009-10 season, which culminated in a Western Conference Finals appearance.

Gentry, currently the associate head coach on Steve Kerr's Golden State Warriors staff, is readying for the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The seven-game series begins Thursday in Oakland, Calif.