On Wednesday afternoon, former NBA Head Coach Jacque Vaughn agreed to return to his alma mater, Kansas, as the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. Vaughn played college ball at Kansas before the Utah Jazz selected him as a first-round pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.
He spent 12 seasons in the NBA across five franchises, including the Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets, and Orlando Magic. He won the 2007 NBA Finals with the Spurs as a depth point guard. Once he retired from the NBA after the 2008-09 season, he began his coaching tenure. Let’s take a look at his experience.
A Deeper Look At Jacque Vaughn’s Coaching Tenure
After retiring from the NBA, Jacque Vaughn transitioned into an assistant coaching role with the Spurs. With San Antonio, he got to coach incredible players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. He also had the privilege of learning from Gregg Popovich.
After those two seasons, Vaughn got rewarded with his first NBA head coaching gig with another team he used to play for in the Magic. His time with Orlando was short-lived; he finished with an abysmal record of 58-158.
He then returned to being an assistant coach and continued to learn more about coaching and developing at the NBA level. This time, after taking a season off, he was an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets from the 2016-17 season until a majority of the 2019-20 season.
For the last ten games of the season, he was named the interim head coach of the Nets and finished the regular season with a record of 7-3. However, in the playoffs, he and the Nets were unsuccessful as they were swept in the first round. He then returned to being an assistant coach for the Nets for about two seasons.
In 2022, Brooklyn elevated Vaughn to head coach, where he remained for two seasons.
Jacque Vaughn Joins Alma Mater, Kansas
Now, Vaughn will be joining one of the greatest college coaches of all time, Bill Self, as the assistant coach for his alma mater, the Kansas Jayhawks.
NEWS: Kansas is hiring former star player Jacque Vaughn as an assistant coach, sources told me and @PeteThamel. Vaughn, a two-time All-American during his college career at Kansas, has been an NBA head coach for both the Orlando Magic & Brooklyn Nets, after a 12-year NBA career. pic.twitter.com/D9Pboar4vx
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 21, 2025
As a player, he was very dominant and one of the best point guards in program history. His 804 career assists rank third in program history. His jersey number “11” still hangs above the Allen Fieldhouse as his number was retired in 2002.
Bill Self is ecstatic to have Vaughn join his staff and has great praise for him. Self mentioned, “We’re very excited to welcome Jacque and (his wife) Laura into the fold. ”
“I’ve known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people. I think he will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball.”
RELATED: Is Jacque Vaughn the Heir to Bill Self? A Look Back at His Coaching Career So Far
He continued, “We lost an awesome coach in Norm (Roberts) when he retired, but feel very fortunate to have replaced him with a tremendous Jayhawk that has a unique and impressive resume.”
Vaughn also seemed happy to return to his alma mater.
“I’m truly honored and overwhelmed with excitement to return to my alma mater and join Coach Self’s staff as an assistant coach,” Vaughn said.
“The game of basketball has provided me the incredible privilege to mentor, coach, and compete alongside some of the best in the game. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring those experiences back to the school that means so much to me. It’s a blessing to once again be part of the Jayhawk tradition.”
If Vaughn and the Jayhawks succeed, he could potentially be Self’s successor and take over as the Jayhawks’ head coach.
But for now, he will continue to learn from one of the best and hope Kansas gets back to competing for national championships. Vaughn is the first former NBA head coach to have a staff position for the Jayhawks.
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