Nets Pass On Ime Udoka, Announce Hiring Of Jacque Vaughn As Coach

The Nets are not hiring Ime Udoka as their next head coach.

Brooklyn announced Wednesday the organization is making Jacque Vaughn the franchise’s next head coach.

Udoka, who was suspended by the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 campaign, initially was thought to be the frontrunner to take over the Nets after the organization mutually parted ways with head coach Steve Nash on Nov. 1. Wojnarowski even reported last week the hiring of Udoka could be made official within the next 24-to-48 hours, which, rather obviously, did not prove to be the case.

Recent reports surfaced indicating “strong voices,” including women in Brooklyn’s leadership, were pushing back on the hiring of Udoka.

Udoka was suspended by the Celtics due to multiple violations of workplace misconduct. Udoka reportedly was involved in an “improper relationship” with a Celtics female staffer, and after it reportedly started as a consensual relationship, Udoka then made “unwanted comments” and used “crude language” toward said staffer.

The Nets’ decision to pass on Udoka for the coaching position serves as one less controversial decision with the organization still left in the wake of the Kyrie Irving controversy. Irving was suspended by the team for his social media promotion of a film with anti-Semitic ideologies.