The Brooklyn Nets have sacked head coach Steve Nash after a disappointing 2-5 start to the season. This comes after some of the team’s best players called for his dismissal throughout the summer.
The game against the Bulls on Tuesday was coached by assistant coach Jacque Vaughn. Nash finished with a 94-67 record in his first season as a head coach, but he is more known for the many scandals surrounding his team’s players that he was unable to prevent.
As Kevin Durant demanded his dismissal and Kyrie Irving refused to be vaccinated and, most recently, as Irving retweeted an anti-semitic video and was not disciplined for it, the 48-year-old seemed to be at a loss and unable to manage his top players. Even this summer, Durant asked the club to fire Nash, who had been their coach since 2020.
The superstar has also asked that general manager Sean Marks be fired. It was reported, however, that things were patched up when Durant rescinded his trade request after it became evident that no other club would be willing to meet the Nets’ asking price. The Nets are now looking for a new head coach, so let’s examine four possible options.
Ime Udoka
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ime Udoka has emerged as a frontrunner for the Nets’ job. After being punished for violating the team’s workplace policy, Udoka will not lead for the Celtics again until the end of the 2022-23 season. Most crucially for the Nets, their 45-year-old coach has not been banned by the NBA.
Charles Lee
Lee’s been one of the most sought-after candidates for a number of open positions in recent recruiting rounds. As of this season, Lee is listed as the Bucks’ assistant head coach. Sooner or later, he will be given the opportunity to lead a team as its coach.
Quin Snyder
Wojnarowski suggests that even Snyder will reportedly be considered for the vacant coaching position in Brooklyn. The 56-year-old and the Utah Jazz mutually chose to end their eight-year working relationship earlier this year. He would be an ideal choice to manage a club with championship hopes since he guided Utah to six postseason berths in eight seasons as head coach.
Frank Vogel
Just two years after Vogel led the Lakers to their 18th NBA championship, the team decided to part ways with him as head coach. If Vogel can thrive while under the intense scrutiny that comes with coaching LeBron James and the Lakers, then any future demands he faces will seem like a breeze in comparison.