Jordi Fernandez found life simpler as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. Though his responsibilities varied at each stop, his core mission remained the same: to lighten the head coach’s load. His area of focus was narrow.
In his debut season as Nets head coach, the 42-year-old was stretched across a multitude of tasks, from managing team performance and player development to fostering relationships and cultivating a winning culture.
“It’s a really cool experience and being able to represent a franchise and be in a different role, a different seat, it’s an honor because you get to represent this name on your chest and always represent it,” Fernandez said.
Balancing a flood of daily responsibilities is a challenge few can anticipate. Like the head coaches he once supported, Fernandez had to adjust in real time. Despite a 26-56 season, Brooklyn wraps up 2024-25 with notable organizational gains. Under Fernandez, progress was undeniably achieved.
“I think the best thing that you guys have not yet been able to see is the day-to-day,” Fernandez said. “What you guys see is the product on the floor. And besides the wins and losses on the standings, we’ve got a lot of wins — what we consider wins, and from players getting better, right?
“And you go down the line with all these guys, obviously we all want to see a result which is numbers, but the development, which is like every day, and the work they put in, and they show up with positive energy, energy in the gym. It’s not just the players, also the coaches, everybody else supporting everybody else, coming on the road and watching us, and you feel the togetherness. And at the end of the day, you see a connected group out there.”
In his first year, Fernandez aimed to build a culture that players and coaches would embrace — one compelling enough to draw top-tier free agents, engage fans, and elevate Brooklyn’s global brand. According to general manager Sean Marks, the Spaniard did just that, and it started with honest communication.
“It was a loud, fun atmosphere here — and that’s not easy to do when [the team isn’t winning], right?” Marks said. “There were some hard lessons learned there from coaches, organization, from players and so forth. But you came in here every single day, and you knew exactly what you were going to get from Jordi and the coaching staff… He had honest conversations with the players, and that followed through into the season. That’s not easy to do. That’s difficult. So, you knew exactly, you got consistency from him.”
Fernandez now embarks on his first full offseason with the Nets, having spent much of last summer coaching Team Canada at the Olympics. He’d be quick to emphasize the critical nature of this summer for the franchise.
With the NBA Draft approaching, Brooklyn is assessing its next wave of talent. New draftees, alongside the team’s existing young players, will need development. Returning players will benefit from another offseason in Fernandez’s system, and that continuity will be vital for 2025-26 and beyond.
“We have a year under our belts of understanding Jordi’s system and how he wants to play and what sort of talent he’s looking for, what attributes he’s looking for,” Marks said. “What’s important to him is super important. And vice versa, there’s an education piece on the draft. I didn’t know he’s had this role in the draft in the past, but I’m thoroughly looking forward to continuing to build this and build this with him.”
Looking ahead, Fernandez remains focused on the long-term vision, confident that the foundation laid this season will yield better results.
“So yes, do we want more wins? Yeah, they will come,” Fernandez said. “And when they come, they’ll come, and they’re going to keep. We’re going to sustain it, and we’re going to keep increasing it. So that’s how we see it. This year, so far, has been, for me in my opinion, very good. But now we have to do it again and do it better. And that’s why the summer, like Sean said, is extremely important.”