The Washington Wizards’ 1–15 start to the 2025–26 season has raised a plethora of questions, with arguably none bigger than the job stability of head coach Brian Keefe.
Keefe joined the team as an assistant coach back in 2023 and was thrust into the role of head coach following the firing of Wes Unseld Jr. halfway through that same year. Keefe hasn’t been dealt a great deck of cards in his time as a head coach, but a career .197 win rate is inexcusable.
Coaching Faults
It’s hard for anyone outside of the Wizards organization to truly criticize Keefe’s coaching ability, because only they know the extent of the internal problems. Fans may see things from the outside looking in that they believe are counterintuitive to the path the Wizards are on, but unless they are with the team every day, it’s hard to truly criticize what he is doing.
With that said, Keefe has done some things this year that are just flat-out inexcusable. Despite having a roster filled with young talent that is looking to develop, Keefe has consistently leaned on his veterans in big moments of games. CJ McCollum often has his number called in big spots despite playing the worst basketball of his career this season. Even when guys like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George or Tre Johnson are on a heater, Keefe will consistently divert to others for offensive production down the stretch — leading to multiple blown leads.
Nov 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) dribbles the ball in front of Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell (4) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The Breaking Point
Despite the Wizards’ abysmal start to this season, GM Will Dawkins has seemingly not let up in his faith in Keefe. Despite the team performing as badly as ever, there have been no signs or hints of Keefe’s tenure being ended anytime soon. However, this losing path can only go on for so long before there is no other choice but to step in a different direction. What milestone needs to be achieved in order for this to happen is unknown, but fans and media alike have theorized about when that time may be.
Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) stands on the court during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The most common thought bubble would be the Wizards breaking the franchise record of consecutive losses with 16 in a row. The Wizards are currently at 14 losses in a row, with no games in the near future looking especially winnable. Breaking the mark of 16 losses in a row would mean a new rock bottom for the team and what some may consider to be a fireable offense for the head coach.
However, some believe that it wouldn’t be fair to Keefe to fire him amidst a rebuild. Nobody expected Washington to be competitive this year, so the losses thus far should come as no surprise. However, if the Wizards ended up losing anywhere near the all-time record of 28 games in a row, it would be hard for anyone to defend the notion of Keefe continuing as the team’s head coach.