Avery Johnson To Coach New Jersey Nets

Wednesday, 09 June 2010 09:00

The New Jersey Nets have reached a verbal agreement with Avery Johnson to become the head coach of the NBA team. Johnson is a former NBA Coach of the Year who has been working in broadcasting for ESPN since being fired by the Dallas Mavericks in 2008. Johnson’s hiring will be the first major duty of the team’s General Manager Rod Thorn, who was moved to that position from his role as Team President. As of yet, nothing has been formalized with Johnson and any sort of official announcement will not take place until a deal is in writing.

The Nets finished with the worst record in the NBA this season, and flirted with the worst mark for single season futility in history. New Jersey posted a 12-70 record for the 2009-2010 season, marginally better than the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers who finished 9-72. The Nets couldn’t even get a #1 pick in the NBA draft with their horrible record—despite having the most chances to get the top slot New Jersey wound up with third choice after the league’s lottery to assign draft order.

Despite their dismal 2009-2010 season, there’s a lot of optimism and activity surrounding the team. They were recently purchased by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who has made it clear that he wants to win a championship:

"How fast can we build a championship team? If everything goes as planned, I expect us to be in the playoffs next season and [win a] championship in one year minimum, and maximum in five years.”

Prokhorov continued to say that he’s committed to revamping the culture of the team:

"We will have the desire to win that is unmatched anywhere in the league," he said. "This will be a first-class organization with all the support it needs in terms of resources and stability in the front office, and a state-of-the art arena to play in.”

"This will be the first truly global organization in the NBA, with exceptional international exposure no team can reach. There will be fans of the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn to Moscow.”

"I feel pretty sure I can convince the best of the best that the Nets are the place they want to be."

The addition of Johnson as coach is apparently the first piece of that puzzle. Johnson won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award in 2005 with Dallas and posted a record of 194-70 in just over three seasons-- a winning percentage of .735. As is typical in this type of situation, GM Thorn has denied that an offer has been made to Johnson. Sources close to the team, however, suggest that barring a major and unforeseen snag in negations he’ll be their next coach.

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Avery Johnson To Coach New Jersey Nets

Avery Johnson To Coach New Jersey Nets

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