A Spanish coach leading Team Canada to beat Team USA in the FIBA World Cup for the bronze sounds like something that would happen in another timeline. But this happened in ours. Jordi Fernandez will now take the responsibility of the Brooklyn Nets as well. The Nets have traded superstars faster than the weather in Texas. Though it is not limited only to their players, their Head Coaches are also as stable as gas prices. The Nets hope their sixth coach since 2019-20 lasts for more than a few seasons.

Taking a different approach from coaches like JJ Redick, who focuses on the process, Jordi Fernandez emphasizes results.

“We will see results right away because, as I said before, this industry is about getting results and improving,” Fernandez said in the press release after signing with the Nets on April 22, 2024.

He is the first Spanish head coach in the history of the NBA. Though he is no stranger to the league, having worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Sacramento Kings. He comes from Badalona in the Catalonia region of Spain. Since he turned 15, he has been coaching for teams in Spain.

He first coached the likes of CB Sant Josep de Badalona, CB Sant Boi, and Hospitalet. When the opportunity arose to go to Volda, Norway, to coach, he didn’t shy away. From there, he went to the University of Oklahoma during their summer camps. 

Before coaching at the NBA Summer League, Fernandez co-authored an 11-page academic article in 2009, which analyzed how a team’s behavioral patterns leading up to a shot could influence the effectiveness of offensive plays. Published in the 41st volume of Behavior Research Methods journal, the article included charts, tables, and a full-court diagram, aiming to give coaches a fresh model for analyzing and designing efficient plays.

Coaching Mike Brown’s kid led to Jordi Fernandez’s big break

His big break came when Mike Brown noticed him during the Las Vegas Summer League, offering him a role with the Cavs. His job profile at that was to be a player development coach. It was his fortune to have worked with LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal during his time there. He worked with them till 2013 when he decided to grow further by taking up the role of top assistant coach of Canton Charge in the D League, an affiliate team of the Cavaliers. He drew on his entire coaching skill set while serving as the lead assistant under Steve Hetzel and as head coach for two seasons. 

“He’s been around Hall of Famers, but he’s also been around the last guys in the G League,” said Mike Gansey, the Cavaliers’ assistant general manager while speaking to the Denver Post. “Whoever walks through that door, he can relate to them … he’s either watched it, lived it or seen it. That’s why he’s so valuable.” He was part of the coaching staff during the Cavaliers’ legendary run to the 2016 NBA championship. 

Michael Malone, who was an assistant coach with the Cavs until 2010, was impressed with Fernández and offered him the assistant coach position with the Nuggets. He was on ESPN’s annual report on potential coaching candidates to watch in April 2018. Everyone on the Nuggets roster only had praise for him.

On August 12, 2022, Jordi Fernández was named associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings. Soon after, he led the Kings’ Summer League team, where Keegan Murray, the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, earned the Summer League MVP award. On December 14, 2022, Fernández took over as acting head coach after Mike Brown was ejected mid-game. Later, he assumed the same role for back-to-back games against the Denver Nuggets on December 27 and 28 while Brown was in health and safety protocols.

Before the December 27 game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who had worked with Fernández before, commended him, stating, “I think Jordi will be a head coach in this league one day. He has been a head coach in the G League and has significant international experience. This team is headed in the right direction with the right coaches, and I’m happy for them.” And now he has been given the opportunity he deserves.

Can Jordi Fernandez turn the fortunes of the Nets?

An overall package of being an academic and a coach, who has seen everything from the D League to stars like LeBron. No one deserves it more than him. The Nets need to determine the direction they want their roster to take. Initially, they gradually developed during Sean Marks’ early tenure with Kenny Atkinson, but the team replaced him in the 2019-20 season. They then shifted to pursuing superstars under Steve Nash, signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and later trading for James Harden.

With those players now gone, the Nets returned to a younger team last season, finishing under interim coach Kevin Ollie. Fernández expressed his enthusiasm for this type of roster, stating, “Having young players is always beneficial because it allows for long-term team development.”

He believes the Nets’ youthful roster will enable them to play at a fast pace and that they can develop into a top-10 team in both offense and defense. He also expressed confidence that center Nic Claxton has the potential to win the Defensive Player of the Year award during his press release after becoming the Nets Head Coach.