The Brooklyn Nets have been mired in controversy for the last few weeks given the situation with NBA superstar Kyrie Irving. He is currently suspended and will be until he completes a list of six things the Nets want to see him accomplish before they consider bringing him back to the court.
Part of what was lost in all of that was that the Nets and head coach Steve Nash mutually agreed to part ways. Nash felt that the players were no longer responding to him and recent reports would confirm that, as Irving reportedly blew off Nash’s play calls with regularity in a game.
In his place, Jacque Vaughn was named the acting head coach. However, the title wasn’t expected to be his very long. There were a lot of rumors that the Nets were pursuing Ime Udoka to become their next head coach.
Udoka is currently the head coach of the Boston Celtics but has been suspended for the entire 2022-23 season. Despite that, the Nets were working toward a deal with him. Alas, that is no longer happening.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jacque Vaughn, Ime Udoka & Brooklyn Nets Updates
There was a lot of pushback on the Nets’ pursuit of Udoka, who reportedly was the No. 1 choice of general manager Sean Marks and Kevin Durant. Brooklyn was urged to abandon their pursuit of him and they have ceded to that pressure. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Vaughn will be named as the team’s next head coach.
This is quite a turn of events as it seemed like a formality that Udoka would get the job. Having any influence over a team’s decision seems wrong, but in this scenario, it was the right move as the Nets are being saved from themselves.
Vaughn has been with the organization since 2016, joining as an assistant coach following a failed stint as head coach of the Orlando Magic. Vaughn was the head coach from 2012-15, compiling an unsightly record of 58-158.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jacque Vaughn, Ime Udoka & Brooklyn Nets Updates
He is a well-respected assistant coach and the hope is that he will get the players to respond more than Nash was able to. This will be the third head coaching title that Vaughn holds with the Nets as he went 7-3 as interim for Kenny Atkinson during the 2019-20 season but went 0-4 in the playoffs. He was 2-2 thus far as acting head coach but will now have the regular title bestowed upon him.
