The NBA 2023-2024 season has just concluded, but the Brooklyn Nets wasted no time preparing for the next season, as reports revealed they found a new coach.
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets have hired Spanish coach Jordi Fernandez, who is still tied with the Sacramento Kings that will compete in the Play-in.
Fernandez, who hails from Badalona, will become the first-ever Spanish head coach in the league's history.
The search for a new coach started a month ago.
The team fired Jacque Vaughn during the All-Star break, and Kevin Ollie took over in an interim capacity for the rest of the way.
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Several Nets players chimed in on who they want as their next coach.
For Mikal Bridges, what he wanted was someone who pays close attention to details.
"[I want] probably what everybody else wants in their coach, being very detailed and a players coach, as well," he said.
"That's the biggest thing too, just talking to guys and getting feedback. But more just - for me personally - the detailed aspect, being detailed on both ends. You want to play, have that moment in the season where you're not really thinking anymore. You know what we're doing offensively and defensively, it's just that free mindset to go out there."
Is Fernandez that type of coach?
The Nets front office was meticulous in selecting their new head coach.
Team owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks personally met with the candidates, which according to reports number 10 to 12.
The three finalists, according to Shams Charania, were Mike Budenholzer, Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez, and Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young.
Between these three, Budenholzer has a sizeable advantage in terms of experience, having won the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
However, he did not land the job.
Instead, it went to the 41-year-old Fernandez.
The Nets have yet to comment on why they chose Fernandez over a proven coach in Budenholzer, but his journey in the NBA speaks a lot about his CV.
Fernandez's coaching style is renowned for making on-the-fly adjustments during games. He loves the Xs and Os and always returns to the drawing board.
Players from the Canada men's national basketball team, whom he coached to a bronze finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, praise him for always emphasizing good plays and hustle while also being strict with the game plan.
His first NBA gig was through the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013 as a player development coach.
He then joined the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach under Mike Malone in 2016 and was there when the team turned from a fringe playoff team into a legitimate contender.
He left the Nuggets in 2022, and they won the NBA title the following year.
He then joined the Kings in August of 2022 as an associate head coach and helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season.
Fernandez is serving as an associate head coach with the Kings while also serving as the head coach of the Canada men's national basketball team.
He also coached the Canton Charge (now Cleveland Charge) from 2014 to 2016, finishing with a win-loss record of 62-38.
Fernandez is a young coach who will coach up-and-coming players at the Nets.
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