Mark Daigneault named as Thunder Head Coach

In the last hour, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that Mark Daigneault has been named as head coach of the Thunder. Daigneault has previously served as assistant coach to Billy Donovan with the Thunder. Daigneault also coached the Oklahoma City Blue for five years.

It has been a long and winding coaching search for Sam Presti but he has finally got his man. Daigneault will take over from Billy Donovan and become just the fourth head coach in Thunder history.

Daigneault has long been viewed as a candidate for the role; Daigneault built an excellent reputation as a development specialist during his time with the Blue. At this moment, the Thunder need a coach who prioritises the development of young players.

Daigneault’s coaching career started in the college game with Holy Cross where he served as an assistant. Daigneault then spent seven years at the University of Florida where he worked alongside Billy Donovan. He then left the Gators to become head coach of the Blue.

Daigneault has had a meteoric rise as a coach. It was only 13 years ago that he started his coaching career with Holy Cross. At the age of 35, he will assume duties as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In just over a month’s time, he will coach his first game at the NBA level. It is a daunting task but his experiences in the G-League will mean that he is prepared for the challenges ahead.