Nets hire Canada men's basketball boss Jordi Fernandez as head coach

Canadian men’s basketball team head coach Jordi Fernandez, seen above in September 2023, was hired in the same role by the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

Canadian men’s national-team head coach Jordi Fernandez was hired Monday as coach of the Brooklyn Nets, who are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Fernandez took the Team Canada job last June after former coach Nick Nurse left the role amid his transition from the Toronto Raptors to Philadelphia 76ers.

The native of Badalona, Spain, then led Canada to a bronze medal last year in the Basketball World Cup, where the team qualified for its first Olympics since 2000 in the process.

In Paris, Canada’s seventh-ranked men’s team will be in Group A alongside fifth-ranked Australia, the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain and the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.

The men’s team has not won an Olympic medal since 1936.

It is unclear whether Fernandez’s new job will affect his role with Canadian team. CBC Sports has reached out to Canada Basketball for comment.

In a statement posted by the Nets to X, formerly known as Twitter, Fernandez said he was “grateful” to receive his first NBA head coaching opportunity.

“I am eager to get to work with this talented group of players and collectively drive our team forward. Together, we will be fully committed to building something special for Nets fans and the borough to be proud of for years to come,” he said.

Fernandez, 41, spent the last two seasons as associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings, helping them reach the playoffs last year for the first time since 2006.

The Nets finished 32-50 and fired Jacque Vaughn at the all-star break. Kevin Ollie finished out the season as the interim coach.

Fernandez spent six seasons as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets before moving to Sacramento. He also led the Canton Charge to consecutive appearances in the NBA G League Eastern Conference finals.

Fernandez has also been an assistant coach for both the Spanish and Nigerian national teams.

Now he takes over a Nets one that fired Vaughn just a year after giving him a contract extension. They went 11-17 under Ollie, focusing on their young players down the stretch after falling out of playoff contention.