The Washington Wizards have promoted top assistant Brian Keefe to interim head coach for the remainder of the season, replacing Wes Unseld Jr., the team announced Thursday.
The Wizards are planning a full-scale open coaching search this offseason.
Keefe joined the Wizards staff this season after stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. During his time under two different coaching staffs with the Thunder, he worked with Wizards president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins in OKC. Keefe was part of the 2012 Thunder coaching staff that advanced to the NBA Finals.
The Wizards plan to keep Unseld Jr. in a management position. Winger and Unseld had discussed a coaching change in recent days, and the organization wants to keep Unseld Jr., son of Wizards Hall of Famer Wes Unseld Sr., in a long-term capacity with the franchise. .
The Wizards are expected to look for a coach with an extensive track record of player development when they conduct a broader search this offseason. The Wizards are 7-36 and are undergoing a complete rebuild under the new management regime of Winger and Dawkins.
“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Winger, president of Monumental Basketball, which includes the Wizards and the WNBA's Washington Mystics, said in a statement announcing the decision. . decision.
“Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his extensive basketball experience will be an asset to the board as we move toward our long-term goals. We are grateful to have him continue his contributions to our organization and community.”
Unseld was in the middle of his third season as the Wizards' head coach, going 77-130 before Thursday's announcement. The Wizards have particularly struggled defensively this season, ranking 29th.
Washington hired Unseld prior to the start of the 2021-22 season after nearly two decades as an NBA assistant with the Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets, where he was Michael Malone's top assistant before returning to his father's franchise. he led them to their only NBA title in 1979 before serving stints as the team's head coach and general manager.
In October, Washington exercised Unseld's option for next season.
Last summer, Winger replaced veteran executive Tommy Sheppard as the Wizards' head of basketball operations and quickly took steps to reshape the franchise. He traded veteran face of the franchise Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for a package of draft picks and Chris Paul, before redirecting Paul to the Golden State Warriors a few days later in exchange for Jordan Poole, marking the beginning of a long reconstruction. in Washington.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
