The Brooklyn Nets have named Jordi Fernandez as their head coach for the upcoming NBA season, making him the third European and the first Spanish head coach in the team’s history.
At 41 years old, Fernandez, hailing from Badalona, Barcelona, brings a wealth of coaching experience to the role. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings under Mike Brown. Fernandez began his NBA journey in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was tasked with player development until 2013. He later coached the Cavs’ G-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, for three seasons, initially as an assistant coach and then as head coach.
Fernandez then served as an assistant coach under Mike Malone for the Denver Nuggets from 2016 to 2022, helping the team reach the Conference Finals in the 2019-2020 season, where they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the ‘Disney bubble’ in Orlando due to the pandemic.
Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity, Fernandez stated, “I’m truly grateful to lead the Nets. (This is an) exciting and humbling opportunity. We will be fully committed to building something special for Nets fans and the borough to be proud of for years to come.”
Despite being an assistant, Fernandez temporarily took the reins as head coach of the Sacramento Kings on December 15, 2022, after Mike Brown was ejected during a game against the Toronto Raptors. He is also the third European head coach in NBA history, following Serbians Igor Kokoskov and Darko Rajakovic.
Fernandez played a crucial role in guiding the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2006 last season, although they were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament.
Taking over a struggling Nets team, Fernandez faces the challenge of turning around their fortunes. The Nets finished this season with a record of 32-50 and missed the playoffs. Additionally, they traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last summer and are dealing with a contract issue involving Ben Simmons.
Nets owner Joe Tsai expressed his optimism, saying, “We look forward to working with Jordi to build a sustainable winning culture in Brooklyn,” while general manager Sean Marks praised Fernandez’s coaching abilities and diverse experiences.
Despite his new role with the Nets, Fernandez will continue to lead the Canadian national team at the Paris Olympics, as confirmed by Canada Basketball. Fernandez assumed the helm of the Canadian team last year and guided them to a third-place finish in the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup, including a notable victory over the United States.
Canada Basketball stated, “We have been working closely with both Jordi and the Nets throughout the process, and we can confirm that Jordi will remain as our coach this summer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
Fernandez’s coaching experience extends beyond the NBA, having served as an assistant coach for Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics and for Spain at the 2017 EuroBasket under Sergio Scariolo.