Nets Rumors: Jacque Vaughn Will Have 'Legitimate Opportunity' to Be Full-Time HC

Brooklyn Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn will reportedly get a "legitimate opportunity" to take over the coaching staff on a full-time basis, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

"This is a guy that comes from the Spurs background, has the same pedigree as [Nets general manager] Sean Marks," Charania said on Tuesday's edition of the Load Management podcast. "As far as I know, he does a good job at working with players, building that relationship."

Vaughn took over the Nets on an interim basis in March after Kenny Atkinson stepped down. He guided the team to victories over the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers before the 2019-20 season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Brooklyn, the current seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 30-34 record, will be 1.5 games up on the Orlando Magic and six games ahead of the Washington Wizards in the race for the East's final two playoff berths when play resumes as part of the NBA's restart plan.

Teams are slated to play eight games to finish the shortened regular season at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida, beginning July 31. Depending on the standings after those contests, a play-in tournament may be used to determine the final playoff teams.

Neither of the Nets' two superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, is expected to play for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, limiting the team's chances of a deep playoff run.

Exceeding expectations in the postseason could bolster Vaughn's case to keep the job heading into the 2020-21 campaign, when Brooklyn is expected to contend.

In April, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported other candidates for the Nets' head coaching position include Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.

That's a lot of high-profile competition for Vaughn, who won an NBA championship as a player with the Spurs in 2007. He started his coaching career in 2010 as an assistant with San Antonio but struggled in his first stint as a head coach with the Orlando Magic, going 56-158 in two-plus seasons from 2012 through 2015.

The 45-year-old Los Angeles native was a first-round pick by the Utah Jazz in the 1997 draft out of the University of Kansas.