Several reports have said the Brooklyn Nets plan to hire former Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka following the firing of Steve Nash. Despite this, Nets General Manager Sean Marks said Tuesday that Brooklyn has “absolutely not” decided on its next head coach.

Udoka served as an assistant on Brooklyn’s staff during the 2020-21 season before taking Boston’s head-coaching job. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Celtics to a 51-31 record and the franchise’s first Eastern Conference title since 2010. The Celtics suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season after it was revealed that the head coach had an inappropriate intimate relationship with a female staff member. Several reports have indicated Boston will let Udoka leave without seeking compensation.

For a Nets team already dealing with PR issues following Kyrie Irving's lack of punishment for his promotion of an antisemitic film, hiring Udoka would present another controversial move. Marks emphasized a thorough vetting process for candidates Tuesday when speaking about Brooklyn's coaching search.

“There’s a reason we made this move when we did,” Marks said. “And we'll do our due diligence, diligence. The organization does very, very thorough due diligence on any (potential hire) and you arrive at the best possible outcome.”

“Whenever you bring anybody in here. Whether it’s a new head coach or an intern, it doesn’t matter. You are doing your due diligence on everybody’s background,” he continued. “You’re looking at past relationships, prior relationships, current relationships, you name it, to make sure you are bringing in the right people at the right time for the right job.”

Udoka has a strong defensive background, serving as defensive coordinator for the 76ers and Nets before joining the Celtics. Brooklyn ranks 29th in defensive rating while allowing an Eastern Conference-worst 120.3 points per game this season. This would make Udoka a logical replacement for Nash. While Marks denied having decided on a head coach, he acknowledged Brooklyn's urgency to find a high-level replacement.

“We don’t want to skip steps. We don’t want to fast-track it here. But we do realize, I’m going to be honest, we have a window here,” Marks said. “When we have this group of players and this salary cap and where we are, we hope to achieve (a championship).”

“There’s been plenty of teams that at one point looked a certain way and made some moves and they changed,” he continued. “We hope to be one of those teams, and by arising at the decision we will in the next few days hopefully that will be a catalyst for a turnaround.”

Nash's firing comes two months after Kevin Durant's ultimatum to owner Joe Tsai calling for Nash and Marks to be let go. Following the unprecedented move, Marks said Tuesday that Nash acknowledged Brooklyn's players were not responding to him this season.

Marks said Brooklyn's players had “zero input” in the decision to make a coaching change. Whether that is true or not, it is easy to see why Udoka could be a popular choice among the Nets' stars. The 45-year-old was extremely successful leading Boston last season and orchestrated a gameplan that stymied Durant and Irving during the Celtics' first-round sweep of the Nets.

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Following Brooklyn's uninspired start to the season, Marks said the organization is seeking a leader who can command the locker room.

“We're looking for a leader for our group,” Marks said. “We're looking for somebody to have poise, charisma, accountability, and where we are with the talent that we have — I mean, look, I'll be the first to tell you, there's certainly holes (in our roster). We're not a finished product. So you hope this new coach can come in here and put this group in the best possible place to succeed.

“Whether that's through basketball acumen, whether it's through their character, whether that's through their experiences, or all of those together.”

Jacque Vaughn will serve as interim head coach for the time being. Vaughn also served as Nets interim head coach following the firing of Kenny Atkinson in 2020. The Nets will look to start their first winning streak of the season Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls before road matchups with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets later this week.