The Washington Wizards promoted interim coach Brian Keefe to the head coaching position for the 2024-25 season. Keefe took over for Wes Unseld Jr. last year after the team had already fallen well out of playoff contention.

“We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people,” Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins said in a press release. “As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success.”

In 39 games as interim head coach last season, Keefe did not do much better than his predecessor with a mediocre Wizards team, going 8-31. Washington finished the season with a 15-67 record, finishing just one game ahead of the Detroit Pistons to avoid earning the league’s worst record.

With this horrendous 2023-24 performance in mind, as well as five straight losing seasons for the Wizards preceding it, not much will be expected of Keefe in the coming season. This team’s problems go much deeper than the head coaching position, and he is likely expected to serve as a stabilizing force while the front office builds a team that can compete in the future.

Though the Wizards have been outsiders in the NBA for some time, the team still managed to regress last season after trading away big man Kristaps Porzingis and pairing Kyle Kuzma with newly acquired talent Jordan Poole. Neither young star lived up to their potential on a team that was routinely criticized for undisciplined play.

“I look forward to continuing to work with our players and helping them grow and develop,” Keefe said in a statement. “As a team, we are committed to a collaborative approach to build an environment of accountability and hard work that allows us to improve every day.”

This will be Keefe’s first full season as an NBA head coach after 17 years as an assistant in the league. His assignment may not be to guide a contending team any time soon, but he and the Wizards’ front office will have an opportunity to build up from rock bottom.

The Washington Wizards will promote assistant coach Brian Keefe to head coach after removing Wes Unseld Jr. from the position Wednesday. Unseld will take a front-office position within the organization.

It is unclear if Keefe, the team’s top assistant, will take the job after the season, as the team only needs an interim leader for now as they limp through the final months of the 2023-24 season. Keefe has been an assistant for five NBA teams dating back to 2007.

On the same day that the Milwaukee Bucks fired coach Adrian Griffin, who led the team to a 30-13 in his debut season, Unseld’s departure garnered less surprise as the Wizards continued their free fall. The team currently holds a 7-36 record despite boasting young talent like Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, earning a reputation as an undisciplined and unfocused team.

Because of Washington’s profound struggles this season, some have criticized the decision to keep Unseld on staff as a member of the front office. Wizards President Michael Winger, who also oversees the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, released a statement in which he announced Unseld’s departure but also expressed a desire to continue working with him.

“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Winger said. “Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals.”

Unseld is the son of Wes Unseld Sr., who spent his entire NBA career with Washington as a player and coach. He was a member of the Bullets team that won the NBA Championship in 1976. He was the Bullets’ head coach between 1987 and 1994 but only managed to lead the team to one winning season. His number, 41, was retired by the Wizards in 1981. His son will now continue to work in his father’s old organization despite three exceedingly poor seasons as head coach.