Steve Nash out as Brooklyn Nets coach after chaotic tenure

Steve Nash is out as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, the team announced Tuesday.

Speaking before Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls, Nets general manager Sean Marks said that both he and Nash thought this was the right time to make a move, and acknowledged thatthe pair of friends knew this decision probably would be made sooner rather than later -- especially after Brooklyn struggled to a 2-5 start under Nash.

"We both felt this was time," Marks said. "It was certainly trending in that way and to be quite frank the team was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. We've fallen from our goals, of meeting our goals, and it was time now because we still have lofty aspirations of where we need to get to."

In a statement, Nash thanked Marks and team ownership for an "amazing experience with many challenges that I'm incredibly grateful for."

What became increasingly apparent since the second half of last season was just how frustrated Nash was with the constant drama surrounding his team off the floor. Last season, it was Kyrie Irving's decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 that hung over the organization; this season it's been Irving's social media posts promoting a book and movie with antisemitic ideals.

"[Nash] has certainly not had an even playing field over 2 years here," Marks said. "And for that I certainly feel some responsibility because this does not fall on him. I take a great deal of responsibility in creating the roster, hiring staff, bringing people in, whether that's free agency or [the] draft, what have you."

Suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka has emerged as the likely next Netshead coach, and his hiring could be finalized as soon as the next 24 to 48 hours, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics would let Udoka leave for another job, sources said.

The hope is that Udoka can tighten the Nets defensively and command the respect of the franchise's key players. Udoka spent a season on Nash's staff before accepting the Celtics job and winning the Eastern Conference. Udoka's time in Boston was essentially over after being given a one-year suspension for having an improper workplace relationship with a female subordinate.

Assistant coach Jacque Vaughn was the acting head coach Tuesday against the Bulls, a game the Nets lost 108-99 to fall to 2-6. Kevin Durant had 32 points and 9 rebounds, but Irving managed only 4 points on 2-for-12 shooting. He missed all six 3-point attempts.

In his pregame news conference Tuesday, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr called Nash a "hell of a coach" and noted how his exit is a good reminder of how important overall team environments are to successful coaching.

"[I'm] really lucky," Kerr said. "You throw [me] in that situation, [I] wouldn't have done any better than [Nash]."

A first-time head coach, Nash was hired by the Nets in 2020 to replace Kenny Atkinson a year after Durant and Irving signed with the team.

While a squad led by a Hall of Fame former player who had previously worked with Durant in Golden Stateseemed like a recipe for success, the Nets never reached the lofty goals set for the team under Nash.

Brooklyn made the playoffs in each of Nash's two full seasons but won only one series. Injuries and mega-trades were constants during Nash's tenure as the team acquired James Harden in the 2020-21 season and traded him last season in a move that brought in Ben Simmons. Simmons didn't make his Nets debut until this season, while neither Durant nor Irving have played 60 games in a season since signing in Brooklyn because of injuries and, in Irving's case, his decision to not get vaccinated.

This past offseason, the Nets dealt with trade requests from both Irving and Durant. A viable trade didn't emerge for Irving. And in an August meeting with owner Joe Tsai in London, sources confirmed to ESPN that Durant asked Tsai to choose between him and the brain trust of Nash and Marks. While both men were retained and Durant eventually relented on his trade demand, Nash's time in Brooklyn is now over.

In Nash's first season, the Nets with Harden earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but injuries to Harden and Irving contributed to the team's seven-game, second-round exit at the hands of the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Entering last season, the Nets were again expected to be one of the East's best teams, but Harden was sent to Philadelphiaand Irving was limited to just 29 regular-season games after choosing to not get vaccinated. Brooklyn was swept in the first round by Boston.

ESPN's Kendra Andrews contributed to this report.