Long Island Nets officially name Will Weaver head coach

As rumored, the Long Island Nets on Tuesday named Will Weaver, a special assistant to Kenny Atkinson the last two years, as its new head coach. Weaver replaces Ronald Nored, who left Long Island for a new job as an assistant coach on Charlotte Hornets staff.

“We are thrilled to welcome Will as the new head coach of the Long Island Nets,” Long Island GM and Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon said. “Will’s experience working under Kenny Atkinson on Brooklyn’s coaching staff has given him a strong foundation to lead Long Island, and we are confident that his vision and focus on player development are the right fit for the team and its young talent.”

Prior to joining the Nets organization in 2016, Weaver spent three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, most recently in the role of special assistant to head coach Brett Brown after being promoted from video coordinator and basketball operations assistant. He also serves as an assistant coach with the Australian national team, a position he has held since 2014, and coached in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“I am honored to be named head coach of the Long Island Nets,” Weaver said. “Leading the team is a privilege, and I would like to thank Nets management and Brooklyn’s coaching staff for the incredible opportunity. I am excited to continue to help the Nets organization develop players in this new role and look forward to coaching a promising group on Long Island.”

Weaver also spent two years as an assistant coach at Sam Houston State University. The Austin, Texas, native earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in three years and a Master of Education in kinesiology from the University of Texas, where he served as a graduate assistant and then as a special assistant with the men’s basketball program.

Sean Marks has said that he expects a broader role for the G-League teams and suggested the Nets may use it to integrate international players into Brooklyn’s development strategy.

“The fact that the G-League has taken those steps now, where you’ll potentially have draft eligible candidates or players coming into the G League, you’ll have foreign guys coming into the G-League early, that’s a terrific,” said Marks back in April. “I give the NBA a lot of credit for they are trying to develop and tweak how we all use the G League.”

So far, the Nets have not yet signed any players to G-League two-way deals. They recently renounced their rights to last year’s two-way player, Milton Doyle and James Webb III.