Nets' Top HC Candidates to Replace Fired Jacque Vaughn Following NBA All-Star Break
The Brooklyn Nets are in search of a new head coach after firing Jacque Vaughn on Monday following All-Star Weekend.
At 21-33, the Nets rank 11th in the Eastern Conference and sit 2.5 games out of the play-in tournament. There's still time for Brooklyn to turn things around in the second half of the season, but the situation was so dire that a change was needed.
The Nets have a talented roster full of rising young stars like Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton, so their head coach opening should be an attractive opportunity for prospective candidates.
Here's a look at some of the best options for Brooklyn in the wake of Vaughn's firing.
Dave Joerger
1 of 3
Dave Joerger has served as an assistant in the NBA for the last four seasons, but the Nets' opening could be the perfect chance for him to return to the head coaching ranks.
Joerger, who is currently an assistant under Doc Rivers with the Milwaukee Bucks, spent three seasons apiece as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. He has experience coaching both veteran-laden teams and youthful squads.
Joerger coached the Grizzlies to 50-win seasons in his first two years and postseason berths in all three of his years at the helm, though the team never advanced past the conference semifinals. He was tasked with taking over the Kings' rebuild, and in his final year in Sacramento he coached the team to its best record since the 2005-06 season.
The 49-year-old is a respected offensive mind who can help fix a Nets unit that stagnated under Vaughn, and he has shown the ability to find success regardless of any circumstances.
Mike Budenholzer
2 of 3
If the Nets want a head coach with championship experience, they should look no further than Mike Budenholzer.
The former Milwaukee Bucks head coach was fired after coaching the team to the best record in the league during the 2022-23 season. He's only three years removed from leading the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship, which was the franchise's first title in 50 years.
Budenholzer is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year. He coached the Atlanta Hawks to a 60-win season and a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. He led the Bucks to first-place finishes in the Central Division in each of his five years with the team.
As a longtime assistant under Gregg Popovich, Budenholzer carries a philosophy that has proven to be successful in the NBA. Budenholzer was on Popovich's staff for four NBA title wins with the San Antonio Spurs.
With extensive experience coaching superstar-level players, Budenholzer would undoubtedly figure out how to unleash the Nets' young stars in the best way.
Mark Jackson
3 of 3
Perhaps a homecoming would be the best route for the Nets' next head coach.
Mark Jackson, a Brooklyn native, has long been rumored to be interested in returning to the head coaching ranks after spending the last decade as a broadcaster for ESPN. Hiring him would infuse the Nets with the unmatched energy of a prodigal son returning home.
As head coach of the Golden State Warriors from 2011 to 2014, Jackson spearheaded a swift turnaround that saw him win 23 games in his first season before winning 47 games in his second and 51 games in his third.
Jackson had the foresight to declare Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the greatest shooting backcourt of all time before they were even known as the Splash Brothers, and he's credited with building an offense around the two of them.
Returning to Brooklyn to coach the Nets would surely be an opportunity Jackson would embrace, and the team's young roster would undoubtedly benefit from his presence on the bench.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
