Jordi Fernandez officially named Nets coach

Former Sacramento assistant to take reins in Brooklyn

April 23, 2024 John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jordi Fernandez will be in Industry City Wednesday morning, when he will officially be introduced as the 24th head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. AP Photo by David Zalubowski

Share this:

The Brooklyn Nets had to wait a while to get their man.

But once the Sacramento Kings were ousted from the NBA play-in tournament last week, Nets general manager Sean Marks was officially able to name Jordi Fernandez as Brooklyn’s new head coach.

“We’re thrilled to announce Jordi Fernández as Brooklyn’s new head coach,” Marks finally confirmed through a team-issued statement Monday, nearly a week after ESPN and other sources revealed the hire.

Terms of the deal were not released, as per team policy.

The 41-year-old Fernandez spent the past two seasons on the Sacramento bench, helping the Kings reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006 in 2022-23 as Mike Brown’s top associate.

This season, Sacramento finished 10 games above .500, but failed to grab one of the six coveted spots in the Western Conference that would have guaranteed it a first-round series.

Instead, the Kings were relegated to ninth-place in the West, where they knocked off Golden State in the 9-10 matchup of the play-in before last Thursday night’s ousting in New Orleans with the No. 8 seed on the line.

If Sacramento had slipped past the Pelicans, Brooklyn would still be waiting for Fernandez to show up here.

The native of Badalona, Spain will be in Industry City at the team’s HSS Training Center Wednesday at 11 a.m. to begin his duties as the 24th coach in Nets history.

Marks reportedly interviewed a dozen candidates, including interim coach Kevin Ollie, during the regular season’s final month before settling on Fernandez, who has worked at the amateur, international and professional level.

“As we progressed through an extensive search over the past six weeks, it became increasingly clear that Jordi is the best coach to lead our team forward,” Marks intimated.

“Jordi brings a diverse set of experiences and basketball knowledge gained over the course of a coaching career that has taken him around the world.

An assistant for six seasons in Denver and part of the player-development team in Cleveland for several years,
Fernandez guided Team Canada to its highest finish ever in international competition, winning a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

He also coached Canton of the NBA’s G-League to a pair of Eastern Conference finals as head coach.

Now, he inherits a team that missed the postseason for the first time in six campaigns and finished with 50 losses.

Ollie took over for former coach Jacque Vaughn after the Nets tumbled from 13-10 to 21-33 at the All-Star break.

Brooklyn went 11-17 under Ollie, but was eliminated from playoff contention on April 3 while the Kings played on.

Fernandez did get a recent look at his new team, visiting Barclays Center with Sacramento on April 7.

The Kings rolled to a 30-point win in Brooklyn, but that didn’t deter Fernandez from welcoming the opportunity to hold one of the league’s 30 head-coaching positions.

“I am truly grateful to lead the Nets as head coach and cannot thank (Nets owners) Joe and Clara (Tsai), and Sean enough for this exciting and humbling opportunity,” Fernández noted in the release.

“My family and I are thrilled to join such an incredible organization and become part of the vibrant Brooklyn community. I am eager to get to work with this talented group of players and collectively drive our team forward.

Nets general manager Sean Marks interviewed a dozen candidates before picking former Sacramento assistant Jordi Fernandez to lead Brooklyn. AP Photo by Mary Altaffer

There is talent on the Nets roster.

Mikal Bridges is coming off an up-and-down campaign after shining here following his arrival in the Kevin Durant trade-deadline deal in February 2023.

Cam Thomas emerged as the Nets’ top scorer for the season and led them in points in each of their final 10 contests.

Nic Claxton, an unrestricted free agent this summer, finished tied for sixth in the NBA in blocked shots and just missed averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this year.

Point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Cam Johnson and veteran power forward Dorian Finney-Smith give Brooklyn added depth, as will the return of blossoming young players like Noah Clowney, Jalen Wilson and Trendon Watford.

Marks believes Fernandez will make the most of his current roster, regardless of offseason changes via trade or free agency. Also, Brooklyn’s new coach will have a say in whom the Nets select during the NBA Draft in June.

“Each step of the way, Jordi has consistently demonstrated the ability to implement strong processes and creative systems designed to optimize each team’s specific roster,” Marks gushed.

“He’s proven the ability to build genuine relationships and garner the respect of players of all levels, and we’re confident that our players will benefit greatly from his expertise. We look forward to Jordi, Kelsey and their children joining the Nets family and calling Brooklyn home.”

Ownership was just as pleased with the hire.

“We are excited to welcome Jordi Fernández and his family to the Nets big family,” said Tsai.

“Jordi’s character as a leader and his emphasis on structure, process and habits will instill a Nets identity that our fans will want to root for. We look forward to working with Jordi to build a sustainable winning culture in Brooklyn.”

Unlike his predecessors here in Brooklyn — Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo, Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, Kenny Atkinson, Nash and Vaughn — Fernandez is looking forward to a long tenure on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.