Jason Kidd breaks silence on ex-Mavericks coaches leaving for NBA rivals

The Dallas Mavericks went through a coaching overhaul this offseason, losing multiple assistant coaches to NBA and college teams, as well as some to personal decisions. Head coach Jason Kidd has assembled an impressive staff, given how many changes they went through.

At Mavericks media day on Monday, Kidd talked about those coaching changes, brushing off the notion that the coaches jumped ship.

︀︀"It wasn't jump ship. It was opportunities for guys to climb the ladder," Kidd said. "The guys who left will be missed. [Sean] Sweeney, Duds [Jared Dudley], and Alex [Jensen]... It's a compliment that we must be doing something right. Not wrong."

Jason Kidd on losing his lead assistants in Sean Sweeney, Jared Dudley & Alex Jenson:

"It wasn't jump ship. It was opportunities for guys to climb the ladder. The guys who left will be missed. Sweeney, Duds & Alex...It's a compliment that we must be doing something right. Not…
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) September 29, 2025

While Jared Dudley absolutely took a better job, as he became the lead assistant for the Denver Nuggets, Jensen and Sweeney can be argued. Sweeney was the lead assistant for the Mavs behind Kidd and left to become the lead assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, which seems like a sideways move. He will get more responsibility there, but it's still not a head coaching job.

Meanwhile, Jensen left a front-row NBA assistant coaching job to be the head coach at the University of Utah, a team that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2016. He played at Utah, so it makes sense for him to take that job, but whether it's an upgrade or not can be debated.

Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Overhauled Dallas Mavericks Coaching Staff

Those aren't the only coaches who left the Mavericks this offseason, as player development coach God Shammgod went to the Orlando Magic, Darrell Armstrong was dismissed for being arrested on an aggravated assault charge, and Slovenian native Marko Milic left the team after Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

With all of those coaches gone, Kidd went to work to assemble a coaching staff worthy of being on a championship contender, bringing on Frank Vogel, Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Phil Handy, Mike Penberthy, and Dru Anthrop. They do have a few assistants who returned, as well, but there's a lot of championship experience and head coaching experience on that staff, which will be huge for the Mavs as they enter the Anthony Davis era.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the offseason

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter

More Dallas Mavericks News

Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki updates feelings on Luka Doncic-Lakers trade

Ex-NBA All-Star explains difference between guarding Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry

Why Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison just became NBA's laughing stock again

Dirk Nowitzki's placement in NBA history called into question once again