Kansas is following the recent trend of college programs bringing on a coach from the NBA, only the Jayhawks have landed one as an assistant.
Former KU point guard Jacque Vaughn, who has three head coaching stints in the NBA, most recently with the Brooklyn Nets from 2022 to ’24, has agreed to join Bill Self’s staff at Kansas, replacing top assistant Norm Roberts, who announced his retirement earlier this month.
“We wanted somebody that was different than what we are when Norm left,” Self told The Athletic. “And (assistant Chase Buford) obviously has an NBA background, coaching for three franchises and winning the NDL twice in Australia. But I thought we could do more from an NBA standpoint, and who better than a KU alum that’s a beloved player here? Won a world championship with the Spurs, and oh yes, been an assistant to coach (Gregg) Popovich and a NBA three-time head coach.
“So yeah, we’re fired up about Jacque. He wants to be here, he’s excited about it. We think he helps us Day 1 in all areas, not just on the floor.”
Self also sees Vaughn as a mentor for incoming five-star guard Darryn Peterson, who is considered the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Vaughn was a two-time All-American at Kansas, playing on one of KU’s greatest teams ever his senior season in 1996-97. He played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. After retiring with the Spurs in 2009, he moved into a coaching role with the team. He quickly earned an opportunity as a head coach in 2012 with the Orlando Magic but was fired after three seasons there.
In Brooklyn, Vaughn eventually became Kenny Atkinson’s top assistant and was named interim head coach in March 2020 after Atkinson stepped down. Vaughn stayed with the Nets when they hired Steve Nash in 2020, moving back to an assistant role, then took back over as interim head coach in 2022 after Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways. He coached the Nets to a playoff appearance that season and then was fired midway through the 2023-24 season amid a 21-33 start. Vaughn went 71-68 with the Nets, who are 37-73 since he was fired.
The NBA-to-college pathway has been popular among coaches lately. Former Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young took BYU to the Sweet 16 in his first year in charge. This spring, Utah (Alex Jensen) and Florida State (Luke Loucks) both hired head coaches off NBA benches.
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