Vaughn has been serving as interim coach since replacing former coach Steve Nash on November 1. “Zach’s basketball acumen, competitiveness and deep knowledge of our team and organization make him clearly the best person to lead our team moving forward,” said Nets general manager Sean Marks. “He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-centric style of basketball.” Vaughn, who served as the team’s head coach for 10 regular-season games during the 2019-20 season, was in the middle of his seventh season as an assistant coach with the Nets. “JV is a great coach,” Nets guard Joe Harris said before Wednesday’s announcement. Having played in the NBA for a while, coached in the league for a while, having experience as a head coach, having a lot of experience now as an assistant, he’s seen a lot, he’s had a lot of different experiences, he’s kind of fine-tuned what his approach is. “It really simplifies the game, I said when we were in the bubble, same thing, but it makes sure everyone is fully aware of what’s going on. He’s the type of coach we go through a scout [report] — There will be a lot of transparency and dialogue. He’s not just the one talking hoping everyone understands. It’s collective stuff where he makes sure everyone is fully aware of what’s going on and understands what’s going on.” Vaughn’s promotion comes as a surprise given that many around the league — and some within the organization — believed Boston Celtics coach and former Nets assistant Ime Udoka would take over for Nash. Vaughn previously served as head coach for the Orlando Magic for two-plus seasons from 2012-15. The Nets are 2-2 since Vaughn stepped into the middle role. His first game as head coach will be Wednesday night at home against the New York Knicks.
