With Jacque Vaughn's dismissal, the Nets lost a major figure in the organization. General manager Sean Marks is now looking for a new head coach who can permanently succeed JV’s role as the primary tactician.
In the meantime, Marks and the rest of the Brooklyn front office opted for Kevin Ollie to take over as the interim head coach. With the trade deadline over, Marks does not have to worry about the roster for the rest of the season. He will now conduct a vast coaching search involving multiple candidates.
Sean Marks speaks on not leaking out any coach candidates names
— The Brooklyn Way (@Jersey2Brooklyn) February 21, 2024
“Like always they are not going to be publicized, I don’t do that so, I know you guys are going to ask, was he or she, were they part of this search…that’s just not the way we work here”
(Via: @YESNetwork ) pic.twitter.com/D1f5Ln1g0O
“I hope we all feel pressure; it’s pro sports. I don’t take it lightly. When you have to move on from a coach, you gotta reflect on that. What went wrong? What could’ve I done differently? What could’ve we done differently? Do we support him enough? Do we have the right roster?” Marks said in his media session after appointing Ollie as the interim head coach.
“Again, as I said, I absolutely take accountability for the roster. We debrief on this and reflect on this. Our objective now is to find the right coach for this group of young men and what it looks like moving forward for that guy.”
It will now be Marks’ fourth time searching for a new head coach for the Nets. It has not been a good track record for the GM since he “whiffed” with Steve Nash and Jacque Vaughn. Kenny Atkinson was a great choice but was not supported enough to succeed.
Now, Marks is looking for a new head coach with plenty of potential candidates. Interim head coach Ollie is the leading candidate, but that will depend on his performance for the post-All-Star break stretch.
Kevin Ollie, when asked what he can do to bring out some of the energy and effort plays Sean Marks said was lacking, said he has a list of 17 “energy generating behaviors” that was gone over “extensively” today. Said the Nets can’t be last in loose balls and have 5 charges drawn.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 21, 2024
The coach search is Mark’s primary focus, but he’s prepared to make big moves in the summer of 2024. Brooklyn won’t have any picks in the 2024 Draft, which means the only way to improve is to sign new players or make trades.
With the Suns’ draft picks still in the Nets’ possession, Marks can make a significant trade due to those picks’ promising value in a couple of years. This trade would fit the new coach’s system and fit well alongside Mikal Bridges, the perfect complementary player to any star.
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