Hornets Announce New Swarm Basketball Leadership

Sept 1, 2026 – The Charlotte Hornets announced today that the organization has named Mike Pires General Manager and Zach Peterson Head Coach of the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate.

Pires, who brings nearly a decade of NBA scouting and basketball operations experience, will continue to serve as Director of Pro Personnel for the Hornets while overseeing the Swarm’s basketball operations. Zach Peterson brings more than a decade of NBA experience to Greensboro after most recently serving as an Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development with the Hornets since the 2024-25 season.

Pires becomes the Swarm’s fourth General Manager. Prior to joining the Hornets, Pires spent five seasons working with Jeff Peterson as a member of the Brooklyn Nets’ basketball operations department as a Pro Scout.

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead the Greensboro Swarm and grateful to Jeff Peterson, Dotun Akinwale and the Hornets organization for the trust they’ve placed in me,” said Pires. “Having started my career in the NBA G League, I’ve seen the value of a strong player-development pipeline and the impact it can have on an organization. Greensboro has established a remarkable foundation, and I’m looking forward to working alongside our players, Head Coach Zach Peterson and our staff to continue developing talent, competing at a high level and building a culture the entire organization and fan base can be proud of.”

Pires began his NBA career with the Spurs organization during the 2015-16 season as a Quality Assurance Assistant with the Austin Spurs. In 2016-17, he joined the San Antonio Spurs’ basketball operations staff as a Scouting/Personnel Quality Assurance Assistant before being promoted to G League Scout in 2018-19. Following his time with the Spurs, Pires joined the Brooklyn Nets, where he continued his work in player evaluation as a Pro Scout before joining the Hornets in 2024 as the Director of Pro Personnel. Prior to his NBA career,  Pires served as a Graduate Assistant with the Michigan State Men’s Basketball team for two seasons from 2013-15 which included a Big Ten Tournament Championship, an Elite Eight appearance (2014) and a Final Four appearance (2015).

As General Manager of the Greensboro Swarm, Pires will oversee the team’s basketball operations and play a key role in the continued development of players within the Hornets’ organization. Additionally, Philip Adams has been promoted to Director of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the Greensboro Swarm after previously serving last season as a Basketball Operations Coordinator.

Zach Peterson becomes the fifth Head Coach in Swarm history after originally joining the Hornets as part of Head Coach Charles Lee’s inaugural coaching staff.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Greensboro Swarm and excited to begin this next chapter with the organization,” said Zach Peterson. “Having spent the past two seasons with the Hornets, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of the Swarm and the role it plays in developing players and preparing them for the NBA. I’m looking forward to working with our players, coaches and staff, building on the strong foundation already in place and creating a team that competes at a high level.”

Prior to joining the Hornets, Peterson spent two seasons (2022-24) as an Assistant Coach with the Los Angeles Lakers after serving three seasons (2019-22) as a Player Development Coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He previously worked alongside Lee for five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (2014-18) and Milwaukee Bucks (2018-19), progressing from Video Intern to Assistant Video Coordinator and then Head Video Coordinator with Atlanta before serving as Head Video Coordinator with Milwaukee. He began his NBA career with the Hawks and also served as an Assistant Coach with the German national team during EuroBasket 2017. Peterson began his coaching career as a student manager under Michigan State basketball greats Suzy Merchant and Tom Izzo.

Pires and Peterson take over the Swarm following the most successful season in franchise history, as Greensboro captured its first NBA G League Championship in 2025-26 after posting a 24-12 regular-season record and winning five consecutive playoff games.

The Swarm’s 2026-27 coaching staff will also include Nathan Peavy, Cameron Black II and Donovan Ham as assistant coaches. Peavy returns for his third season with the Swarm, while Black II joins Peterson’s staff after spending the past five seasons with the Texas Legends. Ham joins the Swarm after most recently serving as a player development assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.

John Bowen III and Will Twigg also join Peterson’s staff, with Bowen III serving as Head Video Coordinator / Player Development Assistant and Twigg as Assistant Coach / Director of Player Development. Bowen III was previously an assistant video coordinator with the Charlotte Hornets, while Twigg brings more than a decade of coaching experience to Greensboro, most recently coaching at the NBA G League Elite Camp in May.

For 2026-27 ticket information, including season tickets, voucher plans and group opportunities, visit gsoswarm.com or call 336-907-3600.