On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets announced the dismissal of head coach Jacque Vaughn after a challenging period that saw the team lose 23 of their last 31 games. The team will be led by an interim coach after the NBA All-Star break.
According to ESPN, the Nets are elevating Kevin Ollie to interim head coach for the season’s remaining 28 games. Ollie will take charge of practice on Tuesday and make his coaching debut against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
The team is optimistic that Ollie, with his 13-year NBA playing career and a national championship win as UConn’s coach in 2014, will inject new vitality into a squad that has seen its offensive and defensive efficiency slump into the league’s bottom 10 since mid-December. Ollie joined the Nets as an assistant coach this season.
Vaughn concluded his Nets tenure with a regular-season record of 71-68 and an 0-8 playoff record over more than two seasons. He stepped in for Steve Nash last season, achieving a 43-32 record before the team was swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Vaughn initially took the reins of the Nets in March 2020 following Kenny Atkinson’s departure, shortly before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the team to a 7-3 finish and a playoff berth in the season’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World; despite this, the head coaching position was later assigned to Steve Nash. Vaughn remained with the team as an assistant coach.
Nets general manager Sean Marks described Vaughn’s dismissal as a tough but necessary decision for the team’s future, praising Vaughn’s character, class, and positive impact over eight years with the organization. Marks thanked Vaughn for his contributions to the Nets and Brooklyn, wishing him and his family the best moving forward.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” 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.”
With a coaching record of 129-226, including his time with Orlando, Vaughn faces new beginnings. Meanwhile, the Nets are looking to rebuild their roster centered on forward Mikal Bridges, with ample salary cap space and draft assets to support this effort in the upcoming summer and beyond.
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