Phoenix Suns Legend Steve Nash Named Head Coach of Brooklyn Nets

PHOENIX — Former Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash has been named the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA team announced Thursday.

Nash is a Hall of Famer who played for the Suns from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2004 to 2012. He was also named an NBA All-Star eight times. Since retiring in 2015, he has worked with the Golden State Warriors as a player development consultant. He will now be the 23rd coach in the history of the Nets, the team wrote on Twitter.

This will be Nash's first time coaching an NBA team.

"Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn," Nash said in a news release.

Nash was chosen after a long search of diverse candidates, according to Marks. The decision could bode well for the Nets; during Nash's time with the Warriors, the team went to the NBA Finals four times and were two-time champions. He built a relationship with Nets star Kevin Durant while he worked with the team.

“In Steve we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will garner the respect of our players," Sean Marks, general manager for the Nets, said in a statement. "His instincts for the game, combined with an inherent ability to communicate with and unite players towards a common goal, will prepare us to compete at the highest levels of the league."