Washington Wizards President Michael Winger has officially named Brian Keefe as the team’s permanent head coach, following an impressive stint as interim coach last season. Keefe had previously served as an assistant under former head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who was later moved to a front-office role and subsequently joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant.
Keefe took over as interim head coach in January and led the team to an 8-31 record down the stretch, showing improvement over Unseld’s start of 7-36. Before joining the Wizards, Keefe had extensive NBA coaching experience, starting out as a college assistant before moving to the league in 2007. He was known for his work as a developmental coach, which was crucial for a young Wizards team at the beginning of a rebuild.
With their decision to rebuild, Washington is departing from their previous approach, and Keefe’s experience in developing younger players aligns well with this strategy. Although the team remains far from being competitive, these initial moves are laying the foundation for future success. With a focus on building and developing a young roster, the Wizards are positioning themselves for potential improvement in the years to come.
