After a 2-5 start to the regular season, the Brooklyn Nets fired two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash from their head coaching position. The organization appointed former Kansas basketball point guard Jacque Vaughn as the team's new leader, and he would go on to finish the year with a 43-31 record, earning himself a multi-year contract.
Unfortunately for him, Vaughn will not last until the end of his deal. Brooklyn fired the ex-Jayhawk on Monday and named Kevin Ollie as the head coach for the remainder of the regular season.
Brooklyn, which sits at 21-33 and 11th in the Eastern Conference on the season, had been playing solid basketball during the campaign's early stages. Led by star forward Mikal Bridges, the Nets seemed to be progressing in Vaughn's first complete season, but things began to fall off the rails quickly.
Dating back to Dec. 27 of last year, the Nets lost 18 of their past 24 contests. A 50-point defeat to the Boston Celtics was the breaking point for Brooklyn, who relieved him of his duties just before the team returned from the All-Star break.
Vaughn did not last long at his previous full-time head coaching job. He was fired during the 2014-15 season after compiling a 58-168 record with the Orlando Magic. Following a nine-year tenure with the Nets, he will look for a new job opportunity at age 49.
During his time at Kansas, Vaughn was a two-time Consensus All-American under Roy Williams. He won Big 8 Player of the Year in 1995-96, and his 804 career assists rank No. 2 on the program's all-time list.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” GM Sean Marks said in a press release. “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. We thank Jacque for all he has done for the Nets and the borough of Brooklyn, and wish him, Laura and their family nothing but the best in the future.”