Nets fire head coach Jacque Vaughn, naming Kevin Ollie interim
The Nets announced Monday morning that they have fired head coach Jacque Vaughn, after several players had lost confidence in him amid Brooklyn's struggles, sources told SNY's Ian Begley.
Some within the Nets had concerns that Vaughn could hinder their chances at landing a top player, said SNY sources.
Kevin Ollie has been named interim head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Ollie, who won a national championship as UConn men's basketball coach, joined Vaughn's staff as an assistant at the start of this season.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in a statement. “Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years. The consistent positivity and passion he poured into our team daily will remain with the players and staff he interacted with throughout his tenure. We thank Jacque for all he has done for the Nets and the borough of Brooklyn, and wish him, Laura and their family nothing but the best in the future.”
Brooklyn got off to a fast start this season, but they quickly began to stumble out of the playoff picture, and found themselves selling ahead of the trade deadline.
Vaughn's Nets dropped six of their last 10 games heading into the All-Star break, and they currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-33 record.
The 49-year-old took over a Brooklyn team that was reeling with then-head coach Steve Nash to start the 2022-23 season. Vaughn was an assistant for the team since 2016 and was named interim coach after Nash and the team parted ways in November 2022 after a 2-5 record.
After four games and a 2-2 record, the Nets decided to remove the interim tag and make Vaughn the official head coach. They would agree to a contract extension a few months later in February 2023, after he helped lead Brooklyn to the NBA's best record (32-19) since he took over for Nash.
Last season saw Brooklyn ship Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Phoenix and Dallas, respectively, but still make it to the postseason. In the first round, the Nets were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Before his time with the Nets, Vaughn coached the Orlando Magic for three seasons from 2012-15. In that time, he amassed a 58-158 record. Over parts of three seasons in Brooklyn, Vaughn had a 71-68 record.
