Dennis Lauscha is an American sports executive who is president of the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans and NFL's New Orleans Saints. [1] [2] He is responsible for managing various aspects of the club, [3] including stadium operations, [4] marketing [5] legal matters, financial operations, human resources, government affairs, community affairs, [6] [7] and information technology. [8] [9] Additionally, Lauscha has concurrently held the position of president for the New Orleans Saints, following his appointment in 2012. [10]
Lauscha was born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from Jesuit High School (Class of 1987) [11] and earned his Business degrees, initially from the University of Alabama, and later pursued an M.B.A. at Loyola University New Orleans. Lauscha's father, Dennis R. Lauscha, originated from the Bronx and later served in the U.S. Air Force. Upon relocating to New Orleans, his father became a notary public and took on the role of a Eucharistic minister. Diane, Lauscha's mother, spent several years as the secretary for the industrial supplier Certex. [12]
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Smoothie King Center.
Thomas Milton Benson, Jr. was an American businessman, philanthropist and sports franchise owner. He was the owner of several automobile dealerships before buying the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) in 1985 and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2012.
Alvin Harris Gentry is an American professional basketball executive for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A former basketball player and coach, Gentry has served as the head coach of six NBA teams. He served as an interim head coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1994–95 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans and Kings. He currently serves as the vice president of basketball engagement for the Kings.
Tavares Montgomery Williams is an American professional basketball coach, executive and former player who is the head coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Williams played for five NBA teams during a playing career that spanned from 1994 to 2003. His NBA coaching career has included stints as an assistant coach, associate head coach, and head coach.
Mickey Loomis is an American sports executive who is the executive vice president and general manager of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was named NFL executive of the year for 2006. From 2012 to 2019, he was also head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Jrue Randall Holiday is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played NCAA basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins before being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft with the 17th overall pick. Holiday played four seasons with Philadelphia before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013. In 2020, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and won his first NBA championship with the team in 2021. Holiday is a two-time NBA All-Star and six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. He also won a gold medal with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.
Austin James Rivers is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rivers led Winter Park High School to back-to-back Florida 6A state championships in 2010 and 2011. He also played in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit for the Team USA, and was a McDonald's All-American.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team commenced play in 2002 after the NBA granted founder George Shinn an expansion franchise to play in New Orleans. The Pelicans' establishment was unusual compared to most modern expansion teams in that New Orleans' roster was not stocked through an expansion draft. Instead, Shinn transferred the entire basketball organization of his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, to his new franchise.
Darius Tiyon Miller is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats and finished his senior season by winning the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament on the 2011–12 Kentucky Wildcats team.
Steven Funaki Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one season with the Wellington Saints, in 2011, Adams moved to the United States in 2012 to play college basketball for Pittsburgh.
David Griffin is an American professional basketball executive who is the executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to the Pelicans, served as the general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the NBA championship in 2016 and reached the NBA Finals in three consecutive seasons under his watch. Griffin also worked as an analyst for NBA TV.
Jaren Walter Jackson Jr., nicknamed "the Block Panther", also known by his initials JJJ, is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by Memphis with the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft. In 2023, he was named to his first NBA All-Star team, later winning Defensive Player of the Year that same season. Jackson has led the league in blocks per game in two consecutive seasons. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.
Gayle Marie LaJaunie Bird Benson is an American businesswoman who is the owner of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). She became the principal owner of the Saints and Pelicans following the death of her husband, Tom Benson, in 2018.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies. A shooting guard, he was drafted 17th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA draft but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Birmingham Squadron are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Birmingham, Alabama, and are affiliated with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Squadron play their home games at Legacy Arena. The team began play in 2019 in Erie, Pennsylvania as the Erie BayHawks before moving to Birmingham in 2021.
Jaxson Reed Hayes is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.
Herbert Keyshawn Jones is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He earned third-team All-American honors as a senior in 2021, when he was also named the SEC Player of the Year.
Kenneth "Trey" Murphy III is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Rice Owls and the Virginia Cavaliers.
Izaiah Antoine Brockington is an American professional basketball player for the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Iowa State Cyclones.