Fernández can keep national gig
Nets are supportive of newly hired coach
The Brooklyn Nets got their man. Canada keeps its coach, too.
Jordi Fernández has officially been hired as head coach of the Nets — his introductory news conference is scheduled for Wednesday — and Canada Basketball officials have been assured he’ll also be on the bench with the national men’s team at the Paris Olympics this summer.
After watching Nick Nurse — fired by the Raptors and hired by the Philadelphia 76ers — vacate the Canadian job about three months before the 2023 FIBA World Cup, there was some concern that Fernández would be unable to fulfil his responsibilities when the Canadian men return to the Olympics for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games.
But that anxiety, according to Canada Basketball officials, have been eased after much back-channels discussion.
There were several factors that ensured Fernández would remain in the job he started in June 2023, before leading Canada to a bronzemedal win over the United States at the FIBA World Cup.
With Sacramento eliminated from the NBA post-season last week, the former Kings associate head coach has more than two months to get his family settled in Brooklyn, finalize the Nets coaching staff and put in place late-summer NBA plans before Canada’s training camp for Paris begins in late June.
The Nets hierarchy is fully supportive of Fernández’s Canada job. Brooklyn GM Sean Marks played for years with New Zealand’s national team and appreciates the importance of international competition to players and coaches. And Nets owner Joe Tsai is Taiwanborn with significant ties to Canada; he became a citizen in the 1970s and carries a Canadian passport.
Canada Basketball officials were in contact with the Nets throughout the process that led Brooklyn to hire the 41-year-old Spaniard to replace interim coach Kevin Ollie.
Fernández coached Canada to its first major men’s basketball medal since a silver at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and will likely have a stacked team to take to Paris. His ability to quickly forge relationships with players and his in-game acumen are vital to any Canadian success.
“The group of guys that was there (at the FIBA World Cup) wanted to be there, wanted to play and fight for each other. But Jordi and his staff came in and they did an unbelievable job in preparing us, helping us build that culture and atmosphere, which can easily go the other way as well,” Team Canada captain Kelly Olynyk said of Fernández earlier this season.
“He’s a great guy, very easy guy to talk to.”
While working on Mike Brown’s staff in Sacramento, Fernández had been touted as the assistant most likely to get an NBA head coaching job.