Nets Reverse Course on Hiring Ime Udoka as Head Coach

Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else.

Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else.

Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in the process of selecting their new head coach following the departure of Steve Nash. Out of all possible candidates, one of the supposed frontrunners for the job was Ime Udoka, a coach for the Boston Celtics who is currently on suspension. Apparently, Udoka was a strong choice for both members of the team itself and its managerial staff.

However, in a reversal, the Nets have announced that Udoka has been passed over for the role, instead giving the job to interim head coach Jacque Vaughn. According to NBA correspondant Marc Stein, the reason for this reversal was external pressure being placed on Nets owner Joe Tsai. Friends and associates of Tsai warned that hiring Udoka would be a bad look, given that he’s currently under suspension for violating team policies regarding staff member relationships. Hiring him at this time, Tsai’s associates warned, would generate bad press and negative feedback from Nets fans.

Udoka has not made any public statements on being passed over at the time of writing. As for Vaughn, the interim coach appeared to have a good rapport and energy with the players, hence the decision to bring him on full time.

November 10, 2022

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