Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn looks towards the scoreboard during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
NEW YORK – The Brooklyn Nets fired Jacque Vaughn on Monday after ending a disappointing first half of the season with a 50-point loss in Boston in their final game before the All-Star break.
About a year after giving Vaughn a contract extension, the Nets changed course and said an interim coach would be named soon.
The Nets dropped five of their final six games before the break to fall to 21-33, putting them in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Their 136-86 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday was their worst defeat since moving to Brooklyn in 2012 and the second-worst in franchise history, and leading scorer Mikal Bridges seemed particularly frustrated in his postgame comments.
Vaughn finished 71-68 with the Nets, guiding them into the playoffs on two separate stints.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years. The consistent positivity and passion he poured into our team daily will remain with the players and staff he interacted with throughout his tenure.
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