On Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets will have their first game after the all-star break. They will be on the road vs. the Toronto Raptors. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Brooklyn is making changes, specifically at head coach. The Nets have dismissed head coach Jacque Vaughn after three seasons.
Brooklyn is 21-33 this season and it’s been a struggle for the team to win games consistently. Besides Ben Simmons who’s played in only 12 games, the Nets have no other all-stars on their roster. It’s hard for the team to compete when they play teams that have a deep rotation of players. Where do the Nets go now after firing another head coach?
Jacque Vaughn has been dismissed by the Nets after 10 seasons with the organization, three as head coach
The Brooklyn Nets dismissed coach Jacque Vaughn on Monday morning, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WjGyf1jONY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2024
In 2010-11, Jacque Vaughn got his start in the NBA as an assistant coach under Greg Popovich in San Antonio. Two years later, Vaughn was hired by the Orlando Magic to be their head coach. Over three seasons, he went 58-158. His best season in Orlando was 23-59. During the 2014-15 season, Vaughn was fired by the Magic after a 15-37 start in their first 52 games. Vaughn took a year off from coaching and landed on his feet again in 2016-17 as an assistant with the Nets.
After Brooklyn’s head coach, Kenny Atkinson was fired in 2019-20, Vaughn was head coach for ten games. He went back to assistant head coach for the next three seasons until head coach Steve Nash was fired. Vaughn eventually took over as interim head coach before being named their full-time head coach. Just under a year ago, the Nets signed Jacque Vaughn to a long-term extension. Today, the 49-year-old was dismissed as head coach. Now, the Nets need a new head coach for the 2024-25 season.
Full statement from Sean Marks on the firing of Jacque Vaughn:
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward. Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years. The…
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) February 19, 2024
There are no real details as to why Jacque Vaughn was let go by the Nets. A year ago, the team felt they had their coach for the future. After the 2024 all-star break, that doesn’t seem to be the case. One can presume the Nets being well under .500 led to Vaughn’s firing. He was 71-68 in three seasons with Brooklyn. The Nets need a serious rebuild after firing their second head coach in the last two seasons.
