The Washington Wizards expect to retain head coach Brian Keefe for the 2026-27 NBA Season, Wizards GM Will Dawkins shared in the team’s end-of-season press conference Thursday.
When asked about whether or not Keefe would return as the team’s head coach next season, Dawkins shared that he does “anticipate” Keefe to return.
The Wizards ended the year with a dismal 17-65 record, finishing last in the NBA. Washington ended the season on a 10-game losing streak, with their last win coming on March 25.
The losses came as the roster saw some significant overhaul, with star CJ McCollum getting sent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for All-Star guard Trae Young, before Young went out indefinitely with a quad injury. Now, with the potential of this year’s No. 1 overall pick in sight via the draft lottery, Keefe will have the opportunity to coach through the rebuild.
Keefe took over as Washington’s head coach partway through the 2023-24 season, after starting the year as an assistant with the team. The Wizards went 8-31 through the rest of the season under Keefe, but did not improve much the following year, going 18-64. This season saw more of the same, with Washington only getting 17 wins across the entire season.
Overall, it’s been a rough road for the Wizards, who have only made the playoffs three times in the past 10 years, and only advanced past the first round in one of those years (2016-17).
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