The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaughn on Monday after less than two seasons.
Nets assistant coach Kevin Ollie is being promoted to interim head coach, ESPN reported.
The Nets are currently 21-33, the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference amid the All-Star break. They lost five of their last six heading into All-Star weekend.
Brooklyn signed Vaughn to a multi-year contract extension in February 2023.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years. The consistent positivity and passion he poured into our team daily will remain with the players and staff he interacted with throughout his tenure.”
Vaughn, 49, went 71-68 in parts of three seasons total as Nets head coach; he went 7-3 as interim head coach during the 2019-20 season. He did not coach a full season in Brooklyn, having taken over for Steve Nash seven games into the 2022-23 campaign.
“To Joe Tsai, Clara Wu-Tsai, Ollie Weisberg, Sam Zussman, Sean Marks and front office, Nets coaches, staff, players, BSE family and the entire Brooklyn borough: It was a pleasure being your Head Coach. I hope each individual I interacted with felt respected and valued. Just know I gave you everything I had every single day. Onto the next chapter. Amor Fati,” Vaughn said in a statement to ESPN.
Ollie, 51, was in his first season on the Nets’ staff after heading up the Overtime Elite program from 2021-23. He coached UConn to a national title in 2014.
Brooklyn returns from the All-Star break to play four straight road games, starting at Toronto on Thursday. The Nets lost to the Boston Celtics by 50 points in their most recent game on Feb. 14. The 136-86 decision was the second-worst setback in franchise history.
Vaughn went 58-158 as head coach of the Magic in two-plus seasons in Orlando from 2012-15.
–Field Level Media
