Former Nets Assistant Coach Hired as Washington Wizards Head Coach

Brian Keefe is taking over for the Wizards as the team's head coach.

Apr 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe calls out instructions to his players during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports | John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

A former Brooklyn Nets assistant coach has landed a head coaching job in the NBA.

On Wednesday, the Washington Wizards removed the "interim" tag on assistant coach Brian Keefe, making him the team's head coach. The team parted ways with Wes Unseld Jr., who was the team's head coach since the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

In 2021, the Nets hired Keefe as an assistant under the leadership of head coach Steve Nash during his tenure with the team. Under Nash's leadership, Keefe had the opportunity to lead a team with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on roster. After an underwhelming season and a 2-5 start to the 2022-23 campaign, Nash was fired, yet Keefe stayed with the team, even though Jacque Vaughn took over as the lead man.

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After the 2022-23 season, things slowed down and Vaughn had a chance to evaluate his staff and make appropriate changes to start building consistency with the club. Naturally, this led to a departure from Keefe in Brooklyn as he joined the Wizards in Washington D.C.

Keefe was labeled the interim head coach after Unseld posted a 7-36 record during the season, which saw him transition into a front office advisory role. Keefe finished the season 8-31. While the record is underwhelming, controlling the Wizards is no easy task. The team is in need of talent in a big way. They're in the thick of a rebuild.

The former Nets assistant is staring at a huge opportunity, though. The team won just 15 games last season. Stockpiling young talent and working toward eventually competing again is the team's main focus, and Keefe can prove to be the right guy for the job if he can begin to establish a culture and style within the team.

The Nets could soon find themselves in a rebuild similar to the Wizards of having to shop "win-now" talent and build the roster from scratch.

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