Jannero Pargo hopes to be a head coach one day, growing toward that goal with Indiana Pacers

Pargo has been with the Pacers since 2021

Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jannero Pargo speaks to the media after a 2024 summer league practice. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Pacers on SI) /

Jannero Pargo joined the Indiana Pacers as a player development assistant in 2021, meaning he is about to enter his fourth season with the franchise. And for Pargo, a former player turned coach, his role with the Pacers is helping him grow toward his goal of being an NBA head coach one day.

Pargo, 44, had an 11-year NBA career with seven different franchises. As a journeyman reserve floor general, he played with many different types of players and personalities. He suited up for more than a half-dozen playoff-bound squads.

Near the end of his playing career, he realized that he wanted to move into coaching at some point. Pargo felt like he was in a part-player, part-coaching role while with the Charlotte Hornets for his final seasons putting on a uniform. Learning from Steve Clifford pushed him toward the profession.

Now, his aspirations are clear — he wants to be a head coach one day. "I think right now, if I can get my team to play hard and play together, that's my short-term goal. At some point, I'd like to be a head coach in this league," he said of his coaching hopes earlier this summer. For the second-straight year, Pargo was the head coach for the Pacers summer league squad.

"By no means am I rushing that process. I want to take my time and learn as much as I can," Pargo continued. "Continue to grow. But right now, getting this team to play hard and compete in the summer league is my main focus."

Point guards tend to make good coaches. They have to learn everything about a play style and need emotional intelligence to make their teammates as effective as possible. Pargo learned those skills as a player. Most NBA head coaches who are former professional players (Charles Lee, JJ Redick, Chauncey Billups, Billy Donovan, Doc Rivers, Kenny Atkinson, Willie Green, Jamahl Mosley, Jason Kidd, Chris Finch, Mike Budenholzer, Ime Udoka, Ty Lue, Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Nick Nurse, and Erik Spoelstra) were point guards — only Lee, Redick, Mosley, Finch, Udoka, and Carlisle played elsewhere, though most of that group was still a guard in some capacity.

Pargo is now trying to apply his learned skills as a coach. He has already been lauded by his players for his ability to instill confidence. They respect Pargo thanks to his background and basketball IQ. He commands a room despite being in the early years of his coaching path.

"That's my guy. Excited that I have a second year at summer league with him," Pacers guard Ben Sheppard said of Pargo. "His energy is contagious. He has all of our best interests. Good basketball mind."

Sheppard has played for Pargo with two different summer league squads, so he's seen the growing coach improve from year to year. His voice is strong and more commanding, in a positive way, now than it used to be.

Pargo felt his improvement during games in Las Vegas. "A lot more comfortable. Feeling like the work that I've put in, the work that our staff put in, the work that our players put in has been enough," he said after his team's first game in 2024. "To come out here and trust our work. I think we did that for the most part."

Pargo won his first two outings as a coach in 2023. After that, his best players were pulled from game action, and they finished that summer league 2-3. The Pacers coach had ice water poured on him in celebration after his first victory, an event that he joked made him a hardened veteran.

In 2024, he had a worse roster and went 1-4. and two of his defeats came in tight games. He's 3-7 through two summer leagues as a head coach, though player development is far more important that results in that setting.

As Pargo pushes toward his goal of being an NBA head coach one day, he knows how important these summer opportunities are. He is appreciative of the chances and experiences that Pacers head coach Rick Carlsile has provided him in recent years.

"Tremendous amount of help. I can't even explain to you in words how much much help it is. I feel so much more confident and relaxed going into year two than I did year one," Pargo said of Carlisle's impact. "So it's working, and I'm thankful for this opportunity. I can't thank Rick and (assistant coach) Lloyd Pierce enough for fighting for me to have this opportunity."

One thing that makes Pargo a unique and effective head coach is that he can still play at a relatively high level. After Pacers practices, he competes with players in three-on-three scrimmages or tries to win a shooting competition. During pre-draft workouts, Pargo can participate in drills and provide NBA-level competition. In between, he can lead a lineup when there is an imbalanced number of players.

Pargo keeps it light. But he's a competitor, and some within the team joke that he could still play in the league if need be.

One advantage of having a coach that’s as good as Jannero Pargo: he can run a unit during summer league practices. pic.twitter.com/M7RzopwYFV

— Tony East (@TonyREast) July 13, 2024

"I'll give him his credit, he aight," Pacers guard Quenton Jackson said of Pargo as a player through a huge smile. "[Pargo], smart coach. Obviously [he] was a player, he gets it from there too," Jackson added. They do shooting drills together.

Pargo's coaching journey is still in its early stages. But he is getting closer to where he hopes to be one day, and he's developing into a leader with the Pacers. He can already feel the improvement and hopes it will continue going forward.

"I'm not sure if players notice, but I notice, and I feel confident and strong with my voice more so than I did last year," he said in July. "So it's a process, and I'm enjoying it, and I'm looking forward to it."

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