Report: Nets' Kevin Ollie Promoted to Interim HC After Jacque Vaughn's Firing

The Brooklyn Nets have quickly found their replacement for Jacque Vaughn, as assistant coach Kevin Ollie was named the team's interim head coach on Monday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Vaughn had held the position for less than two seasons before the Nets fired him after All-Star Weekend after he coached the team to a 21-33 record this year. He had an overall record of 64-65 during his tenure.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported after Vaughn's firing that Ollie "emerged as the leader" to take over the position and the two sides had begun discussions. It didn't take long for them to get a deal done.

Ollie joined Vaughn's staff as an assistant for the 2023-24 season. Before he arrived in Brooklyn, he coached Overtime Elite from 2021 to 2023. He also served as head coach of UConn from 2012 to 2018, leading the Huskies to a national championship in 2014.

Ollie is taking over a Nets team that has a roster filled with young talent. Brooklyn has the same core that went 43-32 after Vaughn replaced Steve Nash as head coach seven games into the 2022-23 season and earned a playoff berth.

Nets swingman Mikal Bridges is still one of the top defensive wings in the league and leads the team with 21.7 points per game. Second-year guard Cam Thomas has emerged as a scoring dynamo and provides Bridges with a capable second option at 21.2 ppg. There reportedly were some complaints among players about the team's offensive identity under Vaughn, so the Nets certainly are hoping to find more consistency going forward.

Ollie is now tasked with making it work on the court for Brooklyn, as the team sits 2.5 games out of the final spot for the play-in tournament. The Nets will try to put together a late-season surge and compete for a postseason spot under Ollie.