Is Nets HC Jordi Fernandez Already a Top 15 Coach in the NBA?

Over the last decade, the Brooklyn Nets have seemingly only had stability at head coach when one of two men patrolled the sidelines, either Jason Kidd or Kenny Atkinson. Never truly enjoyed sustained success in Brooklyn over their respective tenures, but until recently, they were the best of the mediocre.

But things changed once the Nets realized they had to start from scratch, a process that was kicked off by the hiring of then-Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez. The 41-year-old looked to immediately install a culture built on toughness and grit, which he achieved in his inaugural season at the helm.

Ahead of his second season as Brooklyn's head coach, Fernandez is receiving praise for how his tenure began.

Earlier this week, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports ranked all 30 NBA head coaches, placing each in their own tier. Fernandez checked in at 14 under Quinn's fifth tier, "Strong First Impressions."

"Speaking of outperforming expectations, Jordi Fernandez singlehandedly ruined Brooklyn's very overt tanking plans. He was so good in his debut campaign that the Nets had to trade Dennis Schröder on literally the first day Golden State could make the salaries work just to weaken the roster," Quinn wrote. "His absence in Sacramento was acutely felt last season, and while De'Aaron Fox likely forces his way out either way, the bad vibes were hard to miss in the context of the widespread praise Fernandez has earned from players basically everywhere he's been."

Not only is Quinn 100% correct in his decision to list Fernandez as a top-15 coach, but his reasoning may be even more spot on. Many forget the tidbit he included of Schroder being dealt, likely due to the fact that the trade took place nearly a year ago, but Fernandez had the veteran point guard leading a surprisingly decent Brooklyn squad. That doesn't happen with many other coaches, especially given how dire the Nets' situation looked prior to the 2024-25 campaign.

Fernandez will now get the chance to improve on a 26-56 record from last season, this time with reinforcements including Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Haywood Highsmith, Kobe Bufkin and a record-breaking five-man draft haul.

On paper, there are many question marks on this Nets roster, but few question marks remain surrounding the head coach. Brooklyn looks to have hit a home run with Fernandez, who should only climb the coaching ranks as he becomes more seasoned.