On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with head coach Jacque Vaughn. General manager Sean Marks felt the team was not moving in the right direction. The Nets are 21-33 this season through their first 54 games. That is 11th in the Eastern Conference. Players began to question Vaughn’s gameplan and Marks knew it was time to move on. 

For now, Kevin Ollie has been named the interim head coach for Brooklyn. With playoffs not in the Nets’ future, the team shouldn’t feel rushed into hiring their next head coach. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is near the top of Brooklyn’s list of potential candidates. Budenholzer and Brooklyn’s GM Sean Marks have ties from when they were both with the Spurs. Marks as a player and Budenholzer as an assistant coach.

Will the Nets hire Mike Budenholzer to be their next head coach

“Mike Budenholzer is the name at the tip of everyone’s tongue when discussing potential Nets coaching candidates due to his Spurs tree connection, winning a championship, and he’s arguably the most notable name on the market.” https://t.co/OtShcN3rND

— The Joesen One (@Joe_Martin13) February 21, 2024

After 54 games in 2023-24, the Nets decided to part ways with Jacque Vaughn as head coach. Players were dissatisfied with his gameplan and that’s never a good sign. That’s why GM Sean Marks had to make a move to try and help the franchise. The Nets are aware of where they stand in the current rankings. Making the playoffs is a lofty goal for the second half of the season. Marks’ main objective is finding a new full-time head coach.

Reportedly, Milwaukee’s former head coach Mike Budenholzer is a top candidate for the Brooklyn head coaching vacancy. Budenholzer started his coaching career in 1996-97 with the San Antonio Spurs. He was with the Spurs for 17 straight seasons before becoming Atlanta’s head coach in 2014-15. The 54-year-old was there for five seasons and then landed with the Bucks in 2018-19. With Milwaukee, Budenholzer helped coach his team to an NBA title in 2021. He also has four rings with the Spurs as an assistant. Budenholzer knows what a winning culture looks like.

Potential head coaches for the Nets as mentioned by @MikeAScotto

Mike Budenholzer

James Borrego

Jay Wright

Jordi Fernandez

Sean Sweeney

Chris Quinn

David Joerger

— The Brooklyn Way (@Jersey2Brooklyn) February 21, 2024

Even if Brooklyn did hire Budenholzer, the team still has other issues that need to be solved. Right now, the Nets have a lot of role players and lack superstar talent. Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas have had to carry the team offensively this season. Brooklyn needs someone who they can rely on each night to drop 25+ points and play team basketball. That will be up to General Manager Sean Marks and the rest of his staff to figure out once the 2023-24 season has ended.