Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Report: Nick Nurse Out as Canada Basketball Coach, Jordi Fernandez to Replace Him
Nick Nurse will not be leading the Canadian Men’s National Team to Paris in 2024.
The former Toronto Raptors coach has reportedly parted ways with Canada Basketball ahead of what will likely be the team’s first Olympics appearance since 2000. He will be replaced by Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Nurse had been the Canadian Men’s National Team head coach since 2019.
Canada Basketball had previously said Nurse would remain as the team’s head coach despite leaving the Raptors. That, however, will not be the case.
Fernandez, 40, had been considered a candidate to for the Raptors’ vacant head coaching job during the Spring. The Spaniard has been an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team and has no direct ties to Canada.
Canada Basketball and the Raptors share a practice facility at the OVO Athletic Center which could have created some awkward encounters with Nurse returning to his old office in Toronto.
Canada will participate in the FIBA World Cup from August 25 to September 10 and sits in a group alongside Venezuela, Montenegro, and Puerto Rico.
Fernandez will likely bring in a new assistant coaching staff with changes expected throughout the bench.
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