The Brooklyn Nets plan to hire Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernández as head coach, league sources confirmed Monday. It was ESPN who first announced the news.
Fernández, 41, is considered one of the NBA’s most successful assistant coaches and has been a strong candidate in previous head coaching searches. He spent six seasons coaching the Denver Nuggets as an assistant (2016-22) and was a player development coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2009 to 2013. He also coached the Canadian national team to the National Cup. FIBA World 2023, winning bronze with the team. .
Nets general manager Sean Marks and Joe Tsai embarked on a coaching search after parting ways with Jacque Vaughn on Feb. 19 and interviewed a long list of candidates. Besides Fernández, championship-winning Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young were among the finalists for the job. Athleticism Previously reported.
Sources with knowledge of the matter previously said that interim coach Kevin Ollie was being considered as part of the Nets’ process, along with several other coaches, including Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn and associate head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans James Borrego, but the organization has been looking at new candidates as finalists for the full-time position.
Ollie was named interim coach of the Nets on February 20 and has compiled a 32-50 record this season. He was also interviewed as part of the process and met with Tsai, according to league sources.
The Nets are armed with a talented two-way player in Mikal Bridges, future draft picks, salary cap space and flexibility in Brooklyn.
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