Jan 29, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez turns to his bench during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Nets' Jordi Fernandez Setting Foundation for Future Coach of the Year Run

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Ivan White | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Brooklyn Nets might be in the early stages of a rebuild, but their leader will play a massive role in getting back to playoff contention and beyond.

Over the past few years, the Nets have had perhaps the wildest ride of any team in the league. From the fun D’Angelo Russell squad in 2019 to Kevin Durant’s Big 3 being a title favorite in 2021 to the sudden collapse of that era, not much has been consistent in Brooklyn.

At least, that has begun to change. The Nets have been consistently bad since dealing Kyrie Irving and Durant in the middle of the 2022-23 season.

While not much has gone the Nets’ way since those massive deals, the franchise reached a turning point last offseason when it hired Jordi Fernandez as the team’s next head coach. While Fernandez entered Brooklyn as a first-time NBA head coach, he had plenty of experience as an assistant and even took over as the bench boss for the 2024 Canadian Olympic team.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After years of being a dysfunctional franchise that couldn’t seem to keep the same head coach intact for more than a couple of years, Fernandez might finally be able to break that spell. Although he is only a year into his tenure as Brooklyn’s head coach, it appears that the franchise has put its full trust in him, giving Fernandez the keys to drive the squad forward.

Despite the Nets finishing as one of the worst teams in the league last season, winning only 26 games, Fernandez’s defensive identity still shined through. Although the Nets still only finished with the league’s 20th-ranked defense, it was the catalyst for a few bursts of success, especially considering that the Nets had the league’s third-worst offense.

As a coach who seems to be well-liked by his young squad, Fernandez is in a position to build something special. Assuming the team can continue to develop talent and buy into Fernandez’s system, Brooklyn’s rebuild might have the opportunity to be ahead of schedule.

While the overall lack of star talent could limit the ceiling for this iteration of the team, Fernandez might be able to deliver some eye-catching results in Brooklyn over the next three years or so and even put himself in the Coach of the Year conversation.

Sure, no one will be paying much attention to the Nets next season as their rather underwhelming rookie class gets its feet wet in the NBA, but that just means another year of growth without expectations in Barclays Center that should eventually lead to a resurgence of basketball in Brooklyn.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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