The second-longest-tenured Nets coach, Lawrence Frank, helmed the bench for 466 games (2004-09).
The Brooklyn Nets have had 29 head coaches in their franchise history, though only one has guided the team to a championship. Let’s highlight their top five all-time leaders in games coached.
Kevin Loughery
615 Games (1973-81)
Loughery became the head coach of the ABA New York Nets in 1973-74. The team went 55-29 in his first season, winning the ABA championship. The Nets won at least 55 games in each of the first three seasons that Loughery coached the team. They won a second ABA championship with him in 1976, and Loughery went on to coach the franchise for five seasons in the NBA. During the regular season, he compiled a career Nets record of 297-318. In the playoffs, Loughery’s teams went 21-13.
Lawrence Frank
466 Games (2004-09)
Frank spent four seasons as an assistant coach on the Nets before receiving his first opportunity to be a head coach during the 2003-04 season. While the team never won more than 49 games with Frank at the helm, they did make four trips to the playoffs, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals three times. Frank finished with a career regular-season record of 225-241 and a playoff record of 18-20 with the Nets.
Kenny Atkinson
308 Games (2016-20)
Atkinson spent seven seasons in the league as an assistant coach before the Nets gave him his first opportunity to be a head coach in 2016-17. The team went 20-62 that season, though he eventually made a sole trip to the playoffs in 2018-19. Lined up against the 76ers, Brooklyn was eliminated in five games. Atkinson was then let go during the 2019-20 season, with the Nets off to a 28-34 start. He finished with a Nets regular-season record of 118-190. Atkinson currently serves as the head coach of the Cavaliers.
Byron Scott
288 Games (2000-04)
Scott went 26-56 in his first season as the head coach of the Nets (2000-01). The next season, they went 52-30, reaching the NBA Finals, which they lost to the Lakers. They went 49-33 the following season, making another Finals run only to be eliminated by the Spurs. Scott was let go after the Nets slumped to a 22-20 start in 2003-04; he was replaced by Lawrence Frank. Scott finished his tenure 149-139 in the regular season, and 25-15 in the playoffs.
Lou Carnesecca
252 Games (1970-73)
Carnesecca coached the Nets for three seasons in the ABA, starting in 1970-71. The team made the playoffs each year, notably dropping the ABA Finals to the Pacers in 1971-72. Carnesecca compiled a 114-138 regular season record with the Nets; during the playoffs, he went 13-17.
