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Scotto: Jordi Fernandez filling out coach staff with assistants from Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings
Just after the New York Liberty defeated the Seattle Storm, a contingent of Brooklyn Nets coaches gathered on the court in Barclays Center for a group photo, a moment captured by Doug Bearak of The BK Block. Surrounding the team’s new head coach, Jordi Fernandez — who had sat courtside with Clara Wu Tsai — were six men who will form the core of the 41-year-old’s coaching staff this coming season…
Left to right: holdovers Ryan Forehan Kelly and Corey Vinson, then new assistants Juwan Howard (formerly of the University of Michigan), and Deividas Dulkys of the Sacramento Kings. Then Fernéndez and lead assistant Steve Hetzel, formerly of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Travis Bader, the Nets lead video coordinator last season.
Just minutes after the photo was taken, Mike Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Fernández will fill out his staff with a mix of incumbents and new guys, some but not all of whom were in the group photo…
Sources: The Brooklyn Nets will add Connor Griffin (Nuggets) and Deividas Dulkys (Kings) as assistant coaches to Jordi Fernandez’s staff. Adam Caporn, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Corey Vinson will be retained. Trevor Hendry leaves after being with the Nets since the Kenny Atkinson era pic.twitter.com/0DZYbo6PNK
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 21, 2024
It had already been reported that two of the assistants — Hetzel and Howard — were joining the Nets. The news from Scotto’s identified the two new player development coaches: Griffin, who’s been with Denver the last two years, and Dulkys, a former Lithuanian professional player who’s worked in Sacramento with Fernández, also for the past two years.
As previously reported by NetsDaily, Ronnie Burrell, who was G League Coach of the Year in 2023, will not be retained. Nor will Kevin Ollie, who filled in for Jacque Vaughn after JV was dismissed in February, nor Will Weaver, his lead assistant.
There is no word on whether Caporn will continue in his role as director of player development, a job he was given last season, nor whether Bader will remain as head video coordinator or be named an assistant. Also uncertain is whether the new head coach has other moves planned.
Still, the moves indicate a couple of things: a push for development and a staff younger, if still experienced, than most in the league.