Nets Hone-In on 3 Finalists in Head Coach Search

The Brooklyn Nets have set their sights on several head coach candidates since removing Jacque Vaughn from his post on Feb. 19.

Interim coach Kevin Ollie “has been considered as part of the Nets’ process,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Ollie is a former NBA point guard with head coaching experience at UConn and the Overtime Elite program. He’s simplified the Nets’ offense by providing structure, leaning on the high-octane Cam Thomas far more than his predecessor.

A motivator who wants his players to have a hunter’s mentality, the main concern with Ollie is that he’s more like Vaughn than originally thought. Nonetheless, he “was also interviewed as part of the process and met with (Nets owner Joe Tsai).”

The New Candidates

Miami Heat lead assistant Chris Quinn and New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego have also been considered for the job.

Quinn is a highly regarded assistant coach interviewed for several head coach vacancies. He’s also rumored to be shortlisted by the Charlotte Hornets as a head coach candidate during their search. A former point guard who’s been learning under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra since 2014, he knows how to build a hard-nosed championship culture. Spoelstra’s ability to overachieve with his talent is a skill that teams would hope Quinn learned from his mentor.

Ironically, Borrego’s most recent head coaching experience was with the Hornets. Coaching Charlotte for four seasons, Borrego ended his tenure with a 138-163 record. Although he missed the playoffs every season, he went 43-39 before the Hornets moved on to Steve Clifford. Though his firing was unexpected, the longstanding concerns about Charlotte’s defense under Borrego were legitimate.

The Finalists

Former head coach Mike Budenholzer, Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez, and Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young are “among the finalists for the Nets coaching job.”

Tsai “is holding in-person finalist meetings with all three, and a final decision is looming in the near future.”

Budenholzer, a branch of Gregg Popovich’s tree, was previously the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. With a 484-317 record in the regular season and a 56-48 record in the postseason, he’s the most accomplished head coach candidate available. That’s without even noting that he coached the Bucks to a championship in 2021.

Fernandez and Young are also in consideration for the Hornets head coaching vacancy. Neither has held a head coaching role in the NBA. However, Fernandez is the head coach of Canada’s national basketball team. Young has been a G League head coach.

Budenholzer, Fernandez, and Young could all enhance the Nets’ offense.