Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez looks on during Game 3 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Thursday, April 20, 2023. Fernandez is replacing former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse as the head coach of the Canadian men's basketball team, Canada Basketball announced Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Jeff Chiu
TORONTO – Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez is replacing former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse as the head coach of the Canadian men’s basketball team, Canada Basketball announced Wednesday.
Nurse, who was hired by Canada Basketball in 2019, had a contract to coach the Canadian team through the 2024 Olympics. He was fired as coach of the Toronto Raptors earlier this year and is now coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nurse says he needed to step away from national team in order to dedicate his time and energy to the 76ers.
Fernandez recently completed his first season as associate head coach with the Sacramento Kings, where he helped guide the team to a 48-34 record – their best regular season since 2004-05. He spent the previous six seasons as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets.
Internationally, Fernández was the lead assistant for the Nigerian men’s national team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Fernandez will lead Canada into this summer’s World Cup and is also expected to remain in place should Canada qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics.
With files from The Associated Press.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2023.
