Kansas hiring former star, ex-Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn as an assistant
Kansas struck a deal to hire the former Jayhawks star and NBA head coach as an assistant on Wednesday afternoon, the school announced.
Back where it all began. pic.twitter.com/ttXa6lQBrQ
— Kansas Men's Basketball (@KUHoops) May 21, 2025
"We're very excited to welcome Jacque and [his wife] Laura into the fold," Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement. "I've known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people. I think he will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball. We lost an awesome coach in Norm [Roberts] when he retired but feel very fortunate to have replaced him with a tremendous Jayhawk that has a unique and impressive resume."
Vaughn spent four seasons at Kansas from 1993-97. He averaged 9.6 points and 6.4 assists per game throughout his career there while earning Big 8 Player of the Year honors and twice being a consensus All-American. The Jayhawks made it to the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight while Vaughn was with the program, too.
Vaughn, who was selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the draft, played in the league for 12 seasons. He was a member of the San Antonio Spurs when they won the NBA Finals in 2007, too. Vaughn was first hired as an assistant coach with the Spurs in 2010, and he remained there under Gregg Popovich for two seasons before he was hired for the head job in Orlando.
Vaughn spent three seasons leading the Magic, though they went just 58-158 under his watch. He landed in Brooklyn as an assistant ahead of the 2016-17 campaign, and he was then promoted to head coach during the 2022-23 season after Steve Nash was fired just seven games in. Vaughn never got a full season running the team, though. He was fired late the following season.
Vaughn will now join Self's staff in Lawrence and attempt to help a Kansas program that has struggled to live up to expectations in recent seasons. After winning the national championship in 2022, the Jayhawks have failed to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament in three straight seasons. They've been ranked No. 1 in the nation to start the past two years, too, before largely falling apart down the stretch. The Jayhawks went 21-13 last season and fell to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
While it will take more than Vaughn simply coming aboard to turn the blueblood program around, his presence will undoubtedly help that effort.
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