Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez is set to become the Nets‘ new head coach for the 2024/25 NBA season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who hears that Fernandez is Brooklyn’s top choice and that the team is prepared to hire him.
Woj notes that Fernandez became Brooklyn’s preferred candidate following an exhaustively thorough search over the last month that reportedly included dozens of potential fits.
Fernandez, 41, was one of three finalists for the gig, along with 2021 championship-winning former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and Suns assistant coach Kevin Young.
The Nets had begun looking for their long-term head coaching solution even prior to the end of the 2023/24 regular season, while the team was still under the tutelage of interim head coach Kevin Ollie, who stepped in after Brooklyn fired former head coach Jacque Vaughn in February. Ollie reportedly received consideration for the permanent job but wasn’t among Brooklyn’s finalists.
Fernandez, an assistant coach under Michael Malone on the Nuggets from 2016-22, has served on Mike Brown‘s Kings staff in the past two years. In 2023, during Brown and Fernandez’s first season with the franchise, Sacramento made the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. Brown won Coach of the Year honors for the achievement.
Last summer, Fernandez served as the head coach of a starry Canadian national team to a bronze medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He’s expected to coach the Canadians again at this summer’s Olympics.
Fernandez has long been considered a future NBA head coach and interviewed with multiple teams last spring, including the Suns and Raptors.
Since he has been the Nets’ majority owner in 2019, Joe Tsai has already gone through three permanent head coaches. In that five-season span, Vaughn served as an interim head coach twice.
For what it’s worth, while it looks like Fernandez is on track to be hired by the Nets, the move isn’t official yet — that’s an important distinction, given how Brooklyn’s last head coaching search played out. In that case, it looked like the club was poised to hire Ime Udoka before it pivoted and retained Vaughn.
Tank City ‘25
Give him time, stop firing coaches every 1.5 seasons Brooklyn.
Stop hiring garbage coaches. There are good ones out there that aren’t working.
good ones already have jobs. the rest are recycled. need more guys like jordi given a chance.
Budenholzer, McMillan, Gentry and Nash haven’t got a gig and all would be better than Jordi.
Yes, I’m sure the Nets would be delighted at the thought of re-hiring Nash, since that worked out so well the first time
Nets have nice pieces. But ZERO chance of competing for anything. I would be moving guys esp while their trade value is peaked. They could get a haul for Bridges. Probably get good value on Cam Johnson and DFS. They could just keep Cam Thomas and let him chuck.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks monitor the Nets situation and Bridges. Depending on how free agency plays out with their own, and the Villanova connection, a move of Randle, McBride and a dozen first rounders wouldn’t surprise me.
Did the Nets fire their GM? I can’t remember… they had some 5 FRP offer on the table for Bridges and turned it down I think?
Knicks really do need to move Randle and Mitchell. I could honestly see them takin Edey with one of their FRPs if they keep them, and try and recreate Gobert. If I could move up I would to take Filipowski.
They should aim higher though. They need a higher tier guy than Bridges to pair with Brunson.
I’m all for these young coaches getting a break, but when you’re a trash team and Bud is available – you hire Bud.
Bud was once Jordi…
Jordi is a good hire.
Should have hired, Jordi the WhatsApp guy!
The last time Marks hired a coach he wanted to it was Atkinson, and this hire (for better or worse) has a similar feel to it. I don’t know a lot about Fernandez, but hopefully he’ll be up to, and be given a chance, to really coach the team. Not just be cannon fodder at the next reckoning.