Thunder Promote Assistant Mark Daigneault to Head Coach

The Oklahoma City Thunder have promoted assistant coach Mark Daigneault to head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

Daigneault was an assistant coach for the Thunder throughout the 2019–20 season and was previously the head coach of Oklahoma City's G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, between 2014 and 2019. While with the Blue, he was 143–107 with four playoff appearances and eight players called up to NBA rosters.

“We are thrilled to have Mark assume the role of head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder,” Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. “He has been a selfless and effective leader within our organization since his arrival in 2014. Mark is a values based leader, continuous learner, and someone that will help us continue the repositioning of our organization on and off the court. The amount of head coaching experience and diverse experiences through his tenure with the Blue is rare for someone his age."

The 35-year-old Daigneault replaces Billy Donovan, who parted ways with the Thunder shortly after the team's first-round playoff exit and was later hired as the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Daigneault also previously worked under Donovan at the University of Florida.

Prior to arriving at Florida, the Leominster, Mass., native spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Holy Cross. He graduated from the University of Connecticut, where he served as a student manager with the Huskies under longtime coach Jim Calhoun from 2003 to '07.

In taking over the Thunder head coaching job, Daigneault inherits a roster that could be in some flux. Star point guard Chris Paul remains the topic of trade conversations, with ESPN reporting Tuesday night that the Suns are the latest team that has expressed interest in dealing for the future Hall of Famer. According to ESPN, Daigneault's ability to connect with players, teach the game and make various adjustments are part of what appealed to Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City went 44–28 in 2019–20 and has the No. 21 and No. 25 picks in the upcoming 2020 NBA draft.