Kenny Atkinson is out as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.

Atkinson and the Nets' front office mutually agreed to part ways on Saturday in spite of Atkinson's success manning the bench. He led the Nets to a surprising playoff appearance last year while helping keep them in contention this season despite significant injuries.

Nevertheless, this year has been all about change in Brooklyn. From the arrival of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to some strange regression and now Atkinson's departure, this has been a very transitory season.

Next year will present even more challenges, as the Nets will be expected to contend for a title with Durant back in the mix. Who will lead them forward?

Jacque Vaughn will take over as interim head coach, but the search is on for Bobby Marks and co. as they look to find a new head coach. Multiple names have already been tossed around, but it seems likely the Nets will do their due diligence before making a new hire.

Here are five potential hires who might make the most sense for the Nets.

5. Dave Joerger

Joerger has an impressive resume as a head coach. Joerger led the Memphis Grizzlies to 50-plus wins in each of his two seasons in Memphis, and he also helped the Sacramento Kings to their highest win total in 12 years last season.

For whatever reason, Kings general manager Vlade Divac felt Joerger was having a hard time relating to the young players, and he fired Joerger in favor of Luke Walton.

Joerger probably has Durant's respect. Joerger's Grizzlies pushed Durant and the Thunder to seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Memphis even led the series 3-2 before losing each of the next two games.

Moreover, Joerger has experience coaching veterans such as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, as well as youngsters such as De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III.

Joerger has also had success coaching multiple styles. His track record and versatility could make him an intriguing hire.

4. Mike D'Antoni

D'Antoni is in the last year of his contract with the Houston Rockets, and there is no telling whether he will be back next season.

The two sides were seemingly approaching a contract extension this past summer, only for those talks to stall out. D'Antoni's job might actually rest on Houston's performance in the playoffs.

Should D'Antoni move on from H-Town, the Nets should at least give him a look.

Say what you will about D'Antoni's brand of basketball, but it works. He lets his guys play with tempo and freedom. Can you imagine how thrilled Irving and Durant would be in the increased number of isolations they would figure to see?

There are complications. Brooklyn's roster currently is not built for a five-out offensive system, as both Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan are paint-bound centers.

Still, D'Antoni is worth a feeler if he hits the open market.

3. David Fizdale

Contrary to the likes of Joerger and D'Antoni, Fizdale has a less-than-stellar track record as a head coach. He is 71-134 in multiple seasons with the Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

But context is important in Fizdale's case. He actually led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his first season, despite the fact that team was essentially a year from breaking up.

As for the Knicks, was it really fair to expect Fizdale to succeed with a front office that brought in Julius Randle as the marquee attraction next to a ball-dominant guard (RJ Barrett) who cannot shoot? Fizdale should not be judged too harshly for his struggles with the Knicks.

So, what are the selling points? Fizdale is very well-liked by players around the league, and he previously lauded Irving as the one guy he would pay to see play.

Fizdale also has experience coaching multiple superstars as an assistant for the Miami Heat during the Big Three era in South Beach.

2. Tyronn Lue

Lue's appearance on this list should not come as much of a surprise. He coached Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016, and he also has plenty of experience dealing with internal turmoil.

Some reports have said Irving prefers Lue to be the next head coach, though others have said those reports are false:

Still, there is plenty of familiarity between Irving and Lue, and he would also bring championship pedigree to Brooklyn.

The Nets arguably have a more talented roster than Lue did with Cleveland, which could make for an interesting dynamic. Plus, Lue would actually get to coach Durant rather than repeatedly getting killed by him in the NBA Finals.

1. Mark Jackson

This one just makes too much sense.

Jackson is a Brooklyn native. He has been yearning to rejoin the coaching ranks. Moreover, he is very close to Durant's manager, Rich Kleiman, and has been highly complimentary of Irving throughout the course of his career.

The former Knicks point guard provided tutelage to the Golden State Warriors right before their dynasty took off. Jackson has also been hailed as a player's coach, though there are red flags given how his tenure with the Warriors ended.

Jackson is likely to garner interest from the Knicks, but the Nets might win out due to their championship aspirations.