By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After being named interim head coach midway through the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season, Brian Keefe was named long-term head coach of the Washington Wizards, heading to the next season.
Contributing to the development of Israeli Deni Avdija and French Bilal Coulibaly, and at the bottom end of his stint as the interim head coach extending to Serbian Tristan Vukcevic, were crucial in his promotion.
Per the press release: “The Washington Wizards announced today that the team has named Brian Keefe as head coach. Keefe becomes the 26th head coach in the organization’s history.
“We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success.”
Keefe was originally named interim head coach on January 25, 2024, with the team seeing improvement in defensive rating, overall net rating, and opponent three-point percentage over the remainder of the regular season. Under his direction, the Wizards held opponents to the second lowest three-point percentage (34.5%) in the league. Before being named interim head coach, Keefe was in his first season with Washington, serving as the team’s lead assistant coach.
Throughout his 16-year NBA coaching career, he has been influential in the development and evolution of the careers of multiple All-Stars, All-NBA, and MVP caliber players, with stops in Brooklyn (2021-2023), Oklahoma City (2019-20 and 2007-2014), Los Angeles (2016-2019), and New York (2014-2016). Known for his extensive background in player development, multiple Wizards players improved in various statistical categories under Keefe’s guidance as interim head coach.
He started his NBA career as a video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. During his second season, the team won the 2007 NBA championship.
“I am grateful to Michael [Winger] and Will for the opportunity to lead the Washington Wizards,” said Keefe. “I look forward to continuing to work with our players and helping them grow and develop. As a team, we are committed to a collaborative approach to build an environment of accountability and hard work that allows us to improve every day.”
As an assistant coach, Keefe has been a part of teams that have earned playoff berths on eight occasions, including five consecutive playoff appearances (2009-2014) and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.”