Oct 27, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash coaches against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets and Head Coach Steve Nash have mutually agreed to part ways after a 2-5 start to the season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Assistant Head Coach Jacque Vaughn will serve as the interim beach coach in tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls, but the Nets expect to inquire with other options. Former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder and the Boston Celtics’ Ime Udoka are among names to be tied to the team immediately. Reports from Adrian Wojnarowski indicate the Celtics will let Udoka – who has been suspended by the team for the entirety of this season for his off-court actions –to leave for another job.
Nash was under fire with the slow start to the season of the Brooklyn Nets after most assumed the team would be contending for a title with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the helm.
The superstar duo was previously a superstar trio with Harden in the mix, but only had a single taste of the postseason after a second round elimination in 2021, mixed with lack of satisfaction of the team’s direction with all parties, led to Harden’s subsequent trade in the following season.
With Simmons on the sidelines, the Nets were swept in their first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics in last year’s playoffs.
Nash, already under fire for the two years of his team underperforming in the playoffs, had a very slow start to this season with Durant, Irving, and Simmons all healthy and playing where they were they had the second worst defense in the league, and were 28th in point differential per 100 possessions.
Steve Nash had no coaching experience of any kind before being hired for the position in 2020. He was the 5th highest paid coach in the league at $8 million a year.
Nash had a 101-76 record as the head coach of the Nets, regular season and playoffs combined. The Brooklyn Nets are tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference at the time of his firing.
