The Brooklyn Nets are beginning an overhaul of their coaching staff following the midseason promotion of Jacque Vaughn. Brooklyn is parting ways with assistants Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Kokoskov led Brooklyn's offense this season, his first year on the staff. The 51-year-old shares a close personal relationship with Steve Nash, who was fired eight games into the season, having coached the two-time MVP in Phoenix from 2008 to 2012. Keefe coached Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City for the first eight seasons of the 13-time All-Star's career. He joined the Nets' staff in 2021 in a defensive role and recently interviewed for the Detroit Pistons' vacant head-coaching position.
Splitter played seven NBA seasons before joining Brooklyn's staff in 2019. The former Spurs big man worked primarily with the Nets' centers.
Brooklyn now has four assistant coaches: Adam Caporn, Royal Ivey, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Trevor Hendry. Caporn, an Australia native who played college ball at St. Mary's, was named head coach of the Long Island Nets last season before being elevated to Brooklyn this year.
Forehan-Kelly joined the Nets in 2017-18 and worked primarily with Nic Claxton last summer and this season. Claxton had a breakout year, leading the NBA in stocks (steals + blocks) and field goal percentage. Ivey has been with Brooklyn since 2019 after playing in the NBA for 10 seasons. Hendry joined the Nets in 2015, spending four seasons as head video coordinator before being promoted to assistant coach.
Brooklyn began the year with eight assistants, dropping to seven when they elevated Vaughn to head coach. They never replaced Vaughn's spot on the bench. The Nets are now tasked with filling out the head coach's staff heading into his first full season at the helm.
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