4 Perfect Jacque Vaughn Replacements as Nets Head Coach
By Cem Yolbulan
2. Kenny Atkinson
Former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is always mentioned as a potential head coach candidate every time there is an opening around the league. He is consistently one of the most sought-after assistant coaches in the NBA.
A former Mike Budenholzer assistant in Atlanta, Atkinson spent the last three seasons working under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors, winning a championship in 2022. He was almost hired by the Charlotte Hornets after the 2022 NBA Finals but decided to stay with the Warriors. He could choose to take the Nets job considering the familiarity of the organization.
Atkinson worked with general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai between 2016 and 2020, before parting ways ahead of the 2020 Bubble. The general consensus at the time was that with the arrival of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the beginning of the season, the superstars wanted to bring their own more player-friendly head coach. Steve Nash was hired in the summer to fill that need.
Now the Nets are in a different era. Durant, Irving, and Harden are all gone. An X's and O's type of coach who can build a sustainable system long-term is a better fit. Atkinson fits that bill.