Head coach candidates for Nets after Steve Nash was fired

Update: The Nets are finalizing a deal to hire Ime Udoka as the team’s next head coach.

The Brooklyn Nets and Steve Nash decided to part ways Tuesday, which sets up an intriguing coaching search for a franchise filled with drama and disarray. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have already engineering one coaching change when they pushed Kenny Atkinson out for Nash. It appears they had a hand in this one as well after a 2-5 start to the season. During Durant’s offseason trade saga, he wanted Nash gone as part of his deal to return to the franchise. Irving is currently embroiled in backlash surrounding his recent social media posts. Ben Simmons is dealing with an injury.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are making Jacque Vaughn the acting head coach. They are expected to reach out to several potential candidates, including Celtics suspended head coach Ime Udoka and former Jazz head coach Quin Snyder.

Here’s a detailed look at those names, as well as some other options.

Ime Udoka

Udoka is suspended for the season and the Celtics are reportedly willing to let him leave. It’s a bit odd Udoka wasn’t fired if this was the case but the Nets saw what he did last year with two stars. The Celtics swept Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs on their way to the Finals. Udoka has the pedigree and seems to know how to manage egos. That’s a huge part of the job in Brooklyn.

Quin Snyder

Snyder stepped down after yet another failed playoff run with the Jazz. He did help build Utah into a contender, but could never seem to get past the final hurdle. Snyder was expected to take the year off before getting back into coaching but this is a strong situation on paper. There might be a bit too much drama for his liking but Snyder has the star power to win right away.

Mark Jackson

Jackson is going to be a name that gets thrown out a lot for coaching openings. He had a big hand in developing Golden State’s backcourt and could have similar success in Brooklyn. He was rumored to be a candidate when the team hired Nash, so there was some interest there already.

Frank Vogel

Vogel took the Lakers to a title in the bubble with two superstars leading the way. He knows the pressure that comes with stars on the roster and has an idea of how to deal with distractions. This might not be his ideal return to the sidelines but the talent on the roster is undeniable. The connection to Durant and Irving might not be clear but Vogel has won recently enough to draw some interest.