Newly-hired Kings head coach Mike Brown has selected Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez to serve as his new associate head coach, Sacramento announced on Wednesday (via Twitter).
Fernandez has prior experience working with Brown in Cleveland, and was on Brown’s staff with the Nigerian National Team during the 2020 Olympics, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 (KTXL).
Fernandez, 39, has been an assistant with the Nuggets for the past six years. As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports relays (Twitter link), Fernandez was Michael Malone‘s No. 2 assistant in Denver and served as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2021/22.
Brown is well-known as a defense-first coach, so clearly he trusts Fernandez in that regard. Brown is currently serving out his stint as associate head coach of the Warriors, who stymied the Mavericks in the first game of their Western Conference Finals matchup by a score of 112-87.
In other Kings coaching news, Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape reports (via Twitter) that former assistant coach/chief of staff Roy Rana will be heading to Japan to be the new head coach of the Kyoto Hannaryz. Rana was with Sacramento for the past three seasons and was named the head coach of the Egyptian National Team in January, per CBC.ca.
Mike Brown, focus on the Warriors winning NBA Title!! C’mon, do not make the same mistake as Luke Walton!!!!
Hey Mike Brown…you are still in the employ of the Golden State Warriors, who by the way have visions of an NBA championship to conclude the playoffs.
Why are the Dubs allowing him to do work for the Kings when they are still paying him and they have a title to win. Isn’t that breech of contract?
This was probably already planned but the announcement may have been delayed to give time to negotiate contract. Brown is unlikely heavily involved in day-to-day Kings operations yet
These comments crack me up. Warriors fans are so fragile and delicate. Just like the city they represent.
I was advocating Fernandez a couple years ago as HC. If I recall, he comes from Spain, where coaching (at least for soccer) is prestigious and analytical, and not necessarily for ex-jocks, which he is not, nor is HC Brown nor GM McNally. Brown also has European history.
I like the through-line here.
The Kings previously hired ex-jocks. Divac, Stojakovich, Dumars, Walton, all the HCs back to the 90s at least, some of them recent players. Sacto was kind of known for that. Some just played college ball: Gentry & Joerger.
Good idea to try something new.
GSW fans, I doubt HC Brown made much time or effort to turn to Fernandez. Brown has been around, and has had reason to consider who he would hire if he returned to HC.
I’m sure his contract states, Employment starts the Day after you either Win the Championship or are Eliminated from the Playoffs. It’s NOT a breach of contract.