Kofi Inkoom
The Washington Wizards are appointing Brian Keefe as their new head coach for the upcoming season, making him the 26th head coach in the team’s history, the team announced on Wednesday.
Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins said in a press release, “We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people. As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest in 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 appointed interim head coach back in January. Under his leadership, the Wizards improved in defensive rating, overall net rating, and opponent three-point percentage, holding opponents to the second-lowest three-point percentage (34.5%) in the league.
Before this role, Keefe was in his first season with Washington as the lead assistant coach. With 16 years of NBA coaching experience, he has developed multiple All-Stars and MVP-caliber players. He has worked with teams in Brooklyn, Thunder, LA, and the Knicks .
Washington, who holds the second overall pick in the draft, appears ready to enhance their young roster while maintaining their defensive prowess from the latter part of the regular season.