The Brooklyn Nets are preparing to commence their head coaching search whenever their season ends in Orlando, and they have some very big names on their short list of candidates.
Current interim head coach Jacque Vaughn will receive legitimate consideration for the full-time position, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Nets are considering some well-known external candidates as well. Among them are Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Los Angeles Clippers assistant Ty Lue, and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy. Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka is also likely to get an interview with Brooklyn.
Both Kidd and Van Gundy have been linked to multiple head coaching jobs this year, though one of them was with the New York Knicks. The Knicks have since hired Tom Thibodeau, which is a move Van Gundy endorsed.
The priority for the Nets is to find a coach who can get the most out of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, which is why the two superstars are expected to have a say in the search. Durant and Irving reportedly helped push former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson out, and Irving may already have a preference for which coach gets the job next.
Kidd coached the Nets the season after he retired from playing in 2013, leading the team to a 44-38 record and trip to the conference semifinals in his lone season. There have been rumblings that he could be pursued by the New Orleans Pelicans if they decide to move on from Alvin Gentry. Kidd also spent three-plus seasons as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, where he never won a playoff series.
Van Gundy has been with ESPN in an analyst role since 2007. He was the head coach of the Knicks from 1996-2001 and then the Houston Rockets from 2003-2007. He is frequently mentioned in head coaching rumors and has been linked to other teams in recent weeks.
