If you ask Tyrese Martin what he thinks of his coach, Jordi Fernandez, his response is simple: “I love him.” D’Angelo Russell called him a “genius” at preparing his team for games despite a franchise record for games lost to injury/illness. Players from Cam Johnson to Cam Thomas have all had positive things to say about the 42-year-old who after years as a respected assistant with three different franchises, finally got his chance last season in Brooklyn.
The team is happy with him as well, believing
that his reputation will continue to grow and that he will be the biggest lure in attracting free agents when the time comes. They see his hire in April 2024 as the first big milestone in their rebuild.
Moreover, the Nets need Fernandez to provide stability on the bench after a series of head-spinning hirings, almost hirings and firings, some initiated at the suggestion if not the insistence of superstars. In a span of five years, they went from Kenny Atkinson to Steve Nash to Jacque Vaughan to Fernandez. That sequence, plus a failed attempt to bring on Ime Udoka after he was suspended in Boston, tarnished the front office’s reputation.
Now, CBS Sports Sam Quinn, in ranking the top head coaches in the NBA, puts Fernandez at No. 14 in the mix of 30 noting that not only did Fernandez do well in his rookie year, but his loss hurt the Sacramento Kings. Fernandez had been Sacramento’s associate head coach before the Nets picked him up.
Speaking of outperforming expectations, Jordi Fernandez singlehandedly ruined Brooklyn’s very overt tanking plans. He was so good in his debut campaign that the Nets had to trade Dennis Schröder on literally the first day Golden State could make the salaries work just to weaken the roster. His absence in Sacramento was acutely felt last season, and while De’Aaron Fox likely forces his way out either way, the bad vibes were hard to miss in the context of the widespread praise Fernandez has earned from players basically everywhere he’s been.
Quinn ranked Fernandez in a tier he described as making “Strong First Impressions,” along with the Los Angeles Lakers J.J. Redick and David Adelman, the Denver Nuggets assistant elevated to head coach just before the post-season, taking over for veteran Mike Malone.
The ranking is based on a number of factors, Quinn wrote, including track record, performance vs. expectations, points of emphasis, creativity, player development, rotation management and people management. He did not give each coach a grade in each.
Of course, Fernandez is dealing with a rebuilding club and as Atkinson found out, managing superstars is different from managing, say, first round picks.
The native of Badalona, Spain, believes that he’ll be a better coach this season than last.
“I think the experience, having 82 games under my belt, has made me feel better [going into this season],” Fernandez said at Media Day. “Also, my relationships with my coaches and the players that we had before, having worked throughout the whole summer [is helpful], because the summer before I was in the Olympics. My relationship with the front office and ownership, all those things are very important for me because [it helps] you coach with confidence. It’s a good feeling. I still gotta do my job and get better. I learned a lot from last year, and I’m willing to learn a lot this year as well.”
Of course, the Nets as a franchise are more focused on their draft position in the 2026 super draft than wins and losses, as even the owner noted. And as we’ve noted, while there is no dictate for the coach to lose games, Sean Marks & co. know the secret is not putting bad players on the court, like their counterparts in Philly did at year’s end. No, the way to get a high pick is make sure the head coach has limited resources. In their case, that’s headlined by a point guard rotation that includes three teenagers.
So, who does Quinn put as “king of the hill?” Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers who used some unconventional offense and extraordinary player development to get his team to Game 7 of the NBA Finals where he lost not only the NBA title but his best player, Tyrese Haliburton, for all of this season.
- NBA coach rankings: All 30 coaches split into eight tiers as 2025-26 season begins – Sam Quinn – CBS Sports
- Nets’ Jordi Fernandez earns high praise in NBA head coach rankings – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
