April 27, 2026, 4:57 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Brooklyn Nets<\/a> are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history as they finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 20-62 record, giving them the third-worst record in the league. Despite the fact that Brooklyn had such a disappointing season, the team signed the entire coaching staff to contract extensions. One of the assistant coaches could be looking for his next opportunity, however.<\/p>\n Nets<\/a> assistant coach Steve Hetzel recently conducted an interview for the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>‘ vacant head-coaching job, according to a report on Monday from The Athletic’s Will Guillory. This follows a report from NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer that the Pelicans had begun reaching out to candidates to fill the position, including Hetzel.<\/p>\n Hetzel, an assistant on head coach Jordi Fernandez’s coaching staff, should presumably be on the bench next to Fernandez for the 2026-27 season, but this report indicates that Hetzel is starting to gain interest from other teams. Hetzel has been working<\/a> in the NBA since the 2005-2006 season when he was an assistant video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich.<\/p>\n After being the video coordinator for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2006 to 2009, Hetzel was hired by the Detroit Pistons as a player development coach, where he served in that role until 2013. Hetzel served as head coach for the then-D League’s Canton Charge during the 2013-14 season before becoming an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets in 2014.<\/p>\n From 2014 to 2024, Hetzel had been an assistant for the Hornets (2014-18), Orlando Magic (2018-21), and Portland Trail Blazers (2021-24) before being one of Fernandez’s assistants heading into the 2024-25 campaign. This isn’t the first time that Hetzel has been a candidate for a team looking for a head coach as he under consideration for the Phoenix Suns last year before the team hired Jordan Ott.<\/p>\n