Mark Daigneault ( ; born February 23, 1985) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach who is the head coach for the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). Daigneault began his coaching career in 2007 as an assistant for Holy Cross and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

before joining the Thunder organization in 2014. He spent five seasons as the head coach for the

Oklahoma City Blue The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games ...

, the Thunder's G-League affiliate, before becoming the head coach for the Thunder in November 2020. He was named

NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who l ...

for the 2023–24 season. The following year, he led the Thunder to a franchise record 68 wins and an appearance in the

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Early life

Mark Daigneault was born on February 23, 1985, in

Leominster, Massachusetts Leominster ( ) is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 43,222 at the 2023 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and northwest of Boston. Bo ...

. He attended Leominster High School.

Coaching career

While attending the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

, Daigneault served as a student manager for the

UConn Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, with its main campus located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school is a member of ...

from 2003 to 2007 under

Jim Calhoun James A. Calhoun (born May 10, 1942) is an American former college basketball coach. He is best known for his tenure as head coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn) men's basketball team. His teams won three NCAA national championships ( ...

. After earning his bachelor's degree in education, Daigneault initially intended to go for a master's degree, but was urged by Calhoun and associate head coach George Blaney to pursue an assistant coaching position at Holy Cross, giving Daigneault strong recommendations. During Daigneault's tenure, the Crusaders finished as runner-up of the Patriot League Championship in the 2008–09 season. After three seasons with Holy Cross, Daigneault enrolled at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

for graduate school, where he joined future Thunder head coach

Billy Donovan William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before moving to the NBA, he served as the head ...

as an assistant working for the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni an ...

. After graduating with a sports management degree, Daigneault became the assistant to the head coach which involved scouting and working with players off the court. During Daigneault's tenure, the Gators had a record of 120–30 which included three SEC titles and an Elite Eight appearance each year. He also assisted Donovan during his time coaching

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

Oklahoma City Blue (2014–2019)

On August 22, 2014, the

named Daigneault the new head coach of the

following Darko Rajaković's promotion to the Thunder coaching staff. Florida's head coach

, who worked with Daigneault for four seasons, remarked that Daigneault "has been a valuable member of our staff." In Daigneault's first season with the Blue, the Blue tied its highest win total with 28 since the 2010–11 season which included a playoff appearance. During the

2015–16 NBA season The 2015–16 NBA season was the 70th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 27, 2015, at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, with their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2016 N ...

, Daigneault joined

's coaching staff, who was hired as the Thunder's head coach, midseason after assistant

Maurice Cheeks Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of ...

was sidelined for six weeks. Daigneault remained with the Thunder for the remainder of the season and later rejoined the Blue after the Thunder's playoff run. In the 2016–17 season, Daigneault led the Blue to a franchise-record 34 wins. The Blue finished first in the Western Conference but lost in the conference finals. After a conference finals appearance, the Blue failed to advance out of the first round after ranking third in the Western Conference in the 2017–18 season. In his final season, Daigneault led the Blue to its third consecutive division championship and matched the franchise-record again with 34 wins. However, the Blue lost in the conference semifinals which marked their last playoff appearance. With his fifth and final season, Daigneault became the longest tenured coach in franchise history. In his tenure, Daigneault won three

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

Coach of the Month awards, led the Blue to four playoff appearances and a 143–107 record, the most wins by a coach in franchise history. Daigneault also saw eight players called up to NBA rosters and four players signed to two-way contracts, including Alex Caruso, Markel Brown, Semaj Christon, Daniel Hamilton, Josh Huestis, and Dakari Johnson.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–present)

After a brief stint in the

, Daigneault was named as an assistant coach with the

, reuniting again with head coach

. With this move, Daigneault became the fourth-straight head coach of the

to become an assistant in the NBA. After the 2019–20 season, the Thunder and head coach

mutually agreed to part ways as the team transitioned into a rebuilding phase. On November 11, 2020, the Thunder named Daigneault as the team's new head coach, becoming the fourth head coach in Thunder history. With the hire, Daigneault became the second youngest head coach at the time in the NBA. During the Thunder's coaching search, general manager Sam Presti was enthusiastic regarding Daigneault's track record in the Thunder organization, including "connecting with players, teaching the game and making the kind of short- and longer-term adjustments that are crucial for a franchise that is transitioning out of playoff contention and toward a younger, developmental roster." With the Thunder in a rebuilding phase, Daigneault finished his first season with a 22–50 record, the first losing season since the 2008–09 season. In his second season, Daigneault led the youngest team in NBA history to eight 15-plus point comeback wins. Prior to All-Star Break, the Thunder also had the eight best ranked defensive rating at 108.6. However, the Thunder finished with a 24–58 record, tallying their second consecutive losing season since the franchise moved to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

. In the third season of the Thunder's rebuild, Daigneault emerged as one of the best coaches in the NBA as the Thunder improved to a 40–42 record, a 16-win improvement from the previous season. The Thunder made the

NBA play-in tournament The NBA play-in tournament is the preliminary National Basketball Association (NBA) postseason tournament. It determines the final two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference and is played immediately prior to the NBA pl ...

as the tenth seed and defeated the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

before losing to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

, falling one game shy of the 2023 NBA playoffs. After exceeding preseason expectations and a play-in appearance, Daigneault was nominated for the

NBA Coach of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who l ...

. Daigneault ultimately finished second in voting with 48 second place votes and 20 third place votes. Prior to the start of the 2023–24 season, the Thunder announced that head coach Daigneault signed a multi-year contract extension. In April 2024, it was announced that Daigneault was officially named NBA Coach of the Year for 2023–24 season. He joins Scott Brooks (2010) as the only Thunder coaches to win the award.

Coaching style

Daigneault has been described as "open-minded, innovative, and unconventional" during his stint with the Thunder. During the Thunder's rebuild, Daigneault led the Thunder to multiple seasons ranking top-10 in defense. In the 2022–23 season, the Thunder were one of the best third quarter teams coming out of halftime due to Daigneault's in-game adjustments. After the 2022–23 season, many Thunder players credited Daigneault's coaching and their relationship with him during the Thunder's annual exit interviews. Second-year guard Josh Giddey said Daigneault was the ideal coach, quoting "If I could build a coach, it's Mark aigneault while also calling him a smart coach.

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

, who was acquired at the trade deadline, said " aigneaultis the right coach for these young players" and that "some coaches get where they stick to it, aigneaultis open minded." Daigneault is also known for using a high number of small minute lineups with a relatively low degree of concentration on the biggest minute lineups.

Coaching record

NBA

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", , 72, , 22, , 50, , , , style="text-align:center;", 5th in

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 24, , 58, , , , style="text-align:center;", 5th in Northwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 40, , 42, , , , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Northwest, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 57, , 25, , , , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Northwest, , 10, , 6, , 4, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in conference semifinals , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 68, , 14, , , , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Northwest, , —, , —, , —, , , style="text-align:center;", TBD , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 400, , 211, , 189, , , , , , 10, , 6, , 4, , , ,

NBA G League

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , 50, , 28, , 22, , , , style="text-align:center;", 4th in West, , 2, , 0, , 2, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in First Round , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , 50, , 19, , 31, , , , style="text-align:center;", 8th in West, , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", Missed playoffs , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , 50, , 34, , 16, , , , style="text-align:center;", 1st in West, , 6, , 3, , 3, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in Conference Finals , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , 50, , 28, , 22, , , , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in West, , 1, , 0, , 1, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in First Round , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , 50, , 34, , 16, , , , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in West, , 2, , 1, , 1, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in Conference Semifinal , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 250, , 143, , 107, , , , , , 11, , 4, , 7, , , ,

Personal life

Daigneault's father, Rick, is a 1980 graduate of the

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...

, and was a member of the Crusader baseball team. Daigneault's wife, Ashley Kerr, is a women's gymnastics assistant coach at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

. As a child, Daigneault attended former NBA assistant coach Mark Osowski's youth basketball camp and later helped run the camp following Osowski's death. Daigneault credits Osowski's influence and experience working with him to the possibility of becoming an NBA coach. Daigneault was also steered into enrolling at the

by his former high school basketball coach Steve Dubzinski. Dubzinski helped Daigneault receive his first experience in college basketball as a student manager for the Huskies.

References

External links

Holy Cross Crusaders bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daigneault, Mark 1985 births Living people American men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Massachusetts Florida Gators men's basketball coaches Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball coaches Oklahoma City Blue coaches Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coaches Oklahoma City Thunder head coaches Sportspeople from Leominster, Massachusetts UConn Huskies men's basketball coaches University of Connecticut alumni University of Florida alumni