Nets extend head coach Jacque Vaughn's contract

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn. Credit: Brad Penner
In the middle of one of the most unstable seasons in NBA history, the Nets now at least have long-term stability with their head coaching position.
The Nets on Tuesday announced a multiyear contract extension agreement with coach Jacque Vaughn. The club did not release terms of the agreement, but ESPN reported Vaughn signed on to coach the Nets through the 2026-27 season.
Vaughn, 48, took over on an interim basis on Nov. 1 when the Nets fired Steve Nash. The interim tag was removed on Nov. 9, when Vaughn agreed to a deal that included a team option for 2023-24.
But Vaughn was only given the full-time job after the Nets backed off a reported plan to hire suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, a former Nets assistant.
Udoka was suspended by Boston for the season in the aftermath of an improper relationship with a female subordinate. News that the Nets were considering hiring Udoka led to a firestorm of criticism at the same time as the club was dealing with a different firestorm created when guard Kyrie Irving posted a link to an antisemitic film on his social media accounts. Irving was eventually suspended for eight games by the team.
All the while, as controversies swirled, Vaughn has guided the Nets to a 32-19 record (they went 2-5 under Nash at the start of the season). Overall, the Nets (34-24) come into the post-All-Star break period sitting in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a completely overhauled roster that no longer includes Irving and Kevin Durant.
"Jacque has made an immediate and immeasurable impact on our entire organization since assuming the role of head coach earlier this season," Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement released by the team. "On the court, he's clearly demonstrated his leadership through his ability to connect and communicate at a very high level while displaying tremendous instincts for the game.
“As a person, they don't come any better than Jacque. His character is impeccable, and there is not a better representative for our team and our borough. We are thrilled to have Jacque lead the Nets for years to come."
Irving was traded to Dallas on Feb. 6. Durant went to Phoenix two days later. Both players requested to be traded.
Since the Durant trade, the Nets are 2-2 with four new players in their starting lineup. Their season resumes on Friday in Chicago.
Vaughn was the head coach with the Orlando Magic from 2012 to 2015, going 58-158. He also was the Nets’ acting head coach for 10 games during the “COVID bubble” portion of the 2019-20 season. Vaughn went 7-3, but Marks hired Nash for the next season with Vaughn staying on as an assistant.
When Vaughn was given the full-time job on Nov. 9, guard Joe Harris said: "JV is a great coach. Having played in the NBA for a while, been a coach in the league for a while, having experience as a head coach, having a lot of experience now as an assistant, he's seen a lot, had a lot of different experiences, he's kind of fine-tuned what his approach is. He really just simplifies the game.”
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