Steve Hetzel, assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets, has impressed Pelicans officials during his interview for their head coaching position. He has previously interviewed for other head coach roles, including with the Phoenix Suns.
Mentioned in this story
Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Hetzel has made quite the impact throughout his NBA coaching career and that's why Jordi Fernandez asked him to be part of his coaching staff for the Nets. Brooklyn hasn't won many games over the past two seasons due to the nature of the rebuild, but Hetzel appears to be making some progress towards achieving his own dream of leading an NBA team someday.
"I've heard both Milwaukee's Darvin Ham and Brooklyn's Steve Hetzel have made strong impressions on Pelicans officials in their discussions to date," NBA insider Jake Fischer reported for The Stein Line on Thursday. The Athletic's Will Guillory reported in late April that Hetzel officially conducted an interview for the New Orleans Pelicans' vacant head-coaching position.
Hetzel has interviewed for head coach positions in the past, most notably last summer with the Phoenix Suns before they chose Jordan Ott, a former Nets assistant coach. Even if Hetzel doesn't get the Pelicans job, he still has some security in the sense that Brooklyn recently signed Fernandez and the entire coaching staff to extensions shortly after the season ended.
Hetzel has beenĀ workingĀ in the NBA since the 2005-2006 season when he was an assistant video coordinator for theĀ Ā under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. Since 2009, Hetzel has found himself in various coaching positions, including being the head coach of the then-D League's Canton Charge, before spending a few seasons as an assistant coach for the , , and .
Steve Hetzel has been in the NBA since the 2005-2006 season, serving in various roles including assistant video coordinator for the Spurs and head coach of the Canton Charge.
Hetzel has coached for the San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Portland Trail Blazers, among others.
The Pelicans are currently considering candidates, including Steve Hetzel and Darvin Ham, for their vacant head coaching position.
Foster Griffin struck out a season-high nine batters over seven innings, leading the Nationals to a 3-2 victory against the Marlins. Jacob Young contributed with a two-run homer in the first inning.
Misiorowski shines with 12 strikeouts as Brewers defeat Yankees 6-0
Brooklyn Nets set to select Caleb Wilson over Darryn Peterson in 2026 NBA Draft.
Shakira Austin leads Mystics to 68-65 win over Tempo in opener
The Philadelphia 76ers surprised teachers and healthcare workers by giving away 500 free tickets for Game 3 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks. Recipients included educators from Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, as well as healthcare workers from local hospitals.
Packers officially cut ties with Super Bowl champion kicker Brandon McManus
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
While some of the candidates for the Pelicans head coach position are unknown as of this writing, Hetzel is at least competing with interim head coach James Borrego and Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Harm. Both of those men have had varied levels of success as a head coach in the NBA, but it's possible that Hetzel could beat out both of those guys as he's looking for his first chance to lead an NBA sideline after over 20 years of hard work.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets' Steve Hetzel makes strong impression for Pelicans HC job