The Brooklyn Nets are in the hunt for a new head coach after firing Steve Nash on Tuesday.
Nash has been on the hot seat for the last two seasons after failing to meet expectations with the star-studded lineup in Brooklyn.
Despite winning on Monday against the Indiana Pacers, the Nets fired Nash and are expected to hire former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to replace him, according to ESPN.
While the Nets have not confirmed the report, the list of candidates interested on Brooklyn’s radar is reportedly short.
Who Will Replace Steve Nash In Brooklyn?
On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets finally parted ways with Nash.
Now, the search begins for a new head coach in Brooklyn, as Vaughn steps in as the interim coach. According to a report from ESPN, there are two serious frontrunners for the Brooklyn Nets: Ime Udoka and Quin Synder.
Udoka is currently serving a one-year suspension with the Boston Celtics organization for multiple violations of team policies. The suspension came as a result of an independent investigation that found that Udoka was using crude language with female subordinates prior to an inappropriate relationship with a woman.
However, Udoka is still under contract with the Celtics, so in order for him to have a shot at the head coaching job with the Brooklyn Nets, Boston would have to grant permission to interview for another organization.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are willing to let him leave.
On the other hand, Quin Synder resigned in June after eight years with the Utah Jazz.
Snyder is a well-respected head coach around the NBA and is known for building a team-first culture. He led the Jazz to a 372-264 regular season record but said it was just time for him to resign after the team failed to advance deep into the NBA Playoffs.
Who Is The Best Head Coaching Candidate for the Brooklyn Nets?
In his first year as head coach, Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 record and an appearance in the 2022 NBA Finals. Prior to the Celtics, Udoka was an assistant coach with the Nets in 2020-2021. Udoka also spent time with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers.
Unlike Udoka, Synder has been in the league for a while. He’s been a coach for 30 years including his time as an NBA assistant, college, and Russia’s VTB United League. Synder has a plus .500 record and led the Jazz to six straight postseason appearances.
Both coaches are defensive-minded coaches that will be able to make a positive influence on the Nets, who are the 28th-ranked defense in the league.
However, the main challenge in Brooklyn will be dealing with the egos of stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That is something that Snyder didn’t have to deal with as much in Utah.
On the other hand, Udoka found a way to get Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to gel together in Boston, as the tandem eventually led the Celtics to the NBA Finals.
Given that Udoka needs a change of scenery after his scandal with the Celtics, he could be a controversial hire in Brooklyn. But the organization knows him well from his time there, which could give him the inside track to become the Nets’ next head coach.
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