Jacque Vaughn Named as New Head Coach of Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have named Jacque Vaughn as their new head coach.

After parting ways with former head coach Steve Nash, the Brooklyn Nets have decided to name Jacque Vaughn as their new head coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Vaughn has actually taken over the Nets head coaching duties when Nash was let go last November 1st. Wojnarowski also mentioned that the Nets front office gave Vaughn a contract that will run through the 2023-24 NBA season — a decision telling us that the franchise has put its trust in Vaughn’s ability to lead the team to greater heights.

Nets general manager Sean Marks added more praise toward their new head coach’s way, saying that Vaughn is the “clear-cut” best person to lead the team as he prioritizes accountability, cohesiveness, and a “team-first” brand of basketball. Since taking over the helm, Vaughn has helped the Nets win three of five games, including morale-boosting victories against the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and crosstown rivals New York Knicks. Brooklyn has been undermanned in the past few games, with the injured Ben Simmons and the suspended Kyrie Irving sitting out. It remains to be seen how many games will Irving miss, but his recent meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver could be a sign that he’s on his way back.

Jacque Vaughn, who was selected 27th overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, played in the league from 1997 to 2009. He suited up for a number of teams, including the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. After hanging up his sneakers, Vaughn served as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, then got his first head coaching gig with Orlando in 2012. Vaughn didn’t perform particularly well, especially with the Magic rebuilding their roster at that time. After parting ways with the Magic in 2015, Jacque Vaughn has since been part of the Nets organization as an assistant coach.