The Brooklyn Nets yesterday named Steve Hetzel, Juwan Howard, Deividas Dulkys, Connor Griffin and Travis Bader as assistant coaches on Head Coach Jordi Fernández’s employees.
They be part of Jay Hernandez, Adam Caporn, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Corey Vinson on Brooklyn’s bench.
Hetzel involves Brooklyn from Portland, the place he was an assistant coach on the Path Blazers’ employees for the previous three seasons (2021-24). He beforehand served as an assistant coach for 3 seasons (2018-21) with the Orlando Magic following a four-year stint (2014-18) as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets. Hetzel was additionally the pinnacle coach of the Canton Cost within the NBA G League for one season (2013-14) whereas Fernández served as his lead assistant coach. The pair helped information the Cavaliers’ affiliate to a 28-22 document and second-place end within the East division whereas permitting the fewest factors per recreation (101.5) of any staff within the league. Earlier than his time with the Cost, Hetzel served as a participant growth coach for 4 seasons (2009-13) in Detroit. He started his NBA profession within the video room, first as an assistant video coordinator with San Antonio for the 2005-06 season after which spending three seasons (2006-09) as a video coordinator in Cleveland. The Allen Park, Mich., native is a graduate of Michigan State College, the place he served as a pupil supervisor for the boys’s basketball staff.
Howard joins the Nets’ employees after serving as the pinnacle coach of his alma mater, the College of Michigan, for the previous 5 seasons (2019-24). Whereas on the helm in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines compiled an 87-72 document, which included journeys to the Candy 16 (2022) and Elite Eight (2021) within the NCAA Event and an everyday season Massive Ten Convention championship. On the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, Howard earned Nationwide Coach of the Yr honors. Earlier than his stint main Michigan, Howard spent six seasons (2013-19) as an assistant coach with the Miami Warmth. Throughout his tenure, Miami made three postseason appearances, together with securing an Jap Convention championship in 2014. He joined the teaching ranks after a 19-year (1994-2013) NBA profession, the place he was a two-time champion (2012 and 2013) as a participant for the Warmth. In 1,208 profession video games with Washington, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Houston, Charlotte, Portland and Miami, Howard recorded averages of 13.4 factors, 6.1 rebounds and a couple of.2 assists in 30.3 minutes per recreation. Chosen fifth general within the first spherical of the 1994 NBA Draft by Washington, Howard earned an NBA All-Rookie Second Group nomination in 1995 and achieved an All-Star look and All-NBA Third Group honors in 1996 as a member of the Bullets. The Chicago native performed three seasons (1991-94) on the College of Michigan, the place he was a member of the famed “Fab 5” and helped lead the varsity to back-to-back Remaining 4 and nationwide championship recreation appearances (1992, 1993). As a junior, he was a unanimous All-Massive Ten First Group recipient and an All-America Third Group awardee.
Dulkys joins Brooklyn’s bench after spending the final two seasons (2022-24) as an assistant and participant growth coach for the Sacramento Kings. The Šilutė, Lithuania, native additionally spent one season (2021-22) as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. Earlier than changing into a coach, Dulkys performed professionally abroad, competing with groups in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, Italy and Spain over the course of his nine-year enjoying profession (2012-2021). He spent 4 seasons (2008-12) at Florida State College, the place he helped lead this system to the NCAA Event in every of his 4 seasons, together with a run to the Candy 16 as a junior. He ranks third all-time in Seminoles’ historical past with 203 profession 3-pointers made.
Griffin arrives in Brooklyn after three seasons (2021-24) with the Denver Nuggets. He spent the final two seasons (2022-24) as head video coordinator/participant growth whereas helping a postseason run in 2023 that resulted within the Nuggets’ first NBA championship. Griffin initially joined Denver forward of the 2021-22 season as an assistant video coordinator. The Lake Oswego, Ore., native started his teaching profession at Pepperdine College, the place he began as a graduate supervisor for the boys’s basketball staff for 2 seasons (2018-20) earlier than transitioning to video coordinator for the boys’s and girls’s basketball applications (2020-21). Griffin was a walk-on participant at Gonzaga College, the place he performed in 29 video games over two seasons (2013-15) and helped the Bulldogs to a pair of West Coast Convention championships. He then transferred to the College of Washington, the place he joined the soccer program as a decent finish and extensive receiver for 2 seasons (2015-16), throughout which the Huskies gained the 2016 Pac-12 championship recreation and earned a berth to the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Griffin concluded his collegiate profession within the NAIA at Vanguard College and performed on the Lions’ basketball staff in 2017-18.
Bader begins his fifth season as a part of the Nets group and his first as an assistant coach. He spent the final two seasons (2022-24) because the staff’s head video coordinator following a two-year stint (2020-22) as a video seasonal assistant. Bader performed basketball professionally within the NBA G League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2015) and Austin Spurs (2019) and internationally in France, Lithuania, Italy, Greece and Spain. He additionally competed in The Basketball Event (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single elimination event, with Abroad Elite, serving to lead the squad to three-straight event championships (2015-17). The Okemos, Mich., native spent 5 years (2009-14) at Oakland College, the place he set the then all-time NCAA profession document for 3-pointers made (504). His marks at present rank fifth all-time, and he’s nonetheless simply one in every of 5 gamers in NCAA historical past to make 500 or extra 3-pointers in a profession.
Hernandez (second season), Caporn (fourth season with the group and third as an assistant coach), Forehan-Kelly (ninth season with the group and fifth as an assistant coach) and Vinson (second season) return to Brooklyn’s bench and can be part of Fernández and the newly appointed assistants to spherical out Brooklyn’s teaching employees forward of the 2024-25 season.
