Jacque Vaughn’s interim tag was dropped and he agreed to a contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets.
The deal binds Vaughn to the team through the 2026-27 season, though the team did not disclose the terms of the contract, according to an ESPN report.
Vaughn has managed to stabilize the franchise even after the recent departures of star players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, who were traded.
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Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn reacts to on-court action during the first half of the team’s game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on December 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Nets officials noted that Vaughn’s «ability to connect» with players is one of many reasons the organization made the decision to keep the coach in Brooklyn.
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«Jacque has had an immediate and immeasurable impact on our entire organization since taking over as head coach earlier this season,» Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement released by the team. «On the court, he has clearly demonstrated his leadership through his ability to connect and communicate at a very high level while he shows tremendous flair for the game. As a person, you don’t get much better than Jacque.»
Head coach Jacque Vaughn of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on January 6, 2023 in New Orleans. (Jonathan Bachmann/Getty Images)
From December 7 to January 2, the Nets won 12 straight games under Vaughn. The winning streak helped propel the Nets to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Shortly after that winning streak ended, Durant suffered an MCL sprain. Durant also suffered a sprained MCL last season, causing him to miss 21 games.
Interim head coach Jacque Vaughn of the Brooklyn Nets speaks with Kevin Durant (7) during a game at Spectrum Center on November 5, 2022 in Charlotte, NC (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Durant ultimately never suited up for the Nets again after the January 8 injury and requested a trade. Just days after Kyrie Irving was traded to the Mavericks, a blockbuster trade sent Durant to the Suns.
The Nets acquired Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson in the trade and still have Ben Simmons on the roster. Vaughn has been able to find just the right situations for role players like Nic Claxton, Seth Curry and Cameron Thomas as the team heads toward the playoffs down the stretch.
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Vaughn has been with the Nets since the 2016 season and went 7-3 as the team’s interim coach in 2020. He also spent more than two seasons as the Orlando Magic’s head coach from 2012 to 2015.