Mark Daigneault was born on August 12, 1985, in Leominster, Massachusetts. He was coaching in NCAA and G League before becoming a head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He was more interested in coaching than playing the game from his early days. His analytical mind was fascinated with X and O’s of the game and how coaches handle different situations.
Mark Daigneault – Education and family
Daigneault got his degree was at the University of Connecticut. His mother works as a special school educator in his hometown. His sister is also a teacher. His wife, Ashley, is coaching gymnastics at the University of Oklahoma.
Mark Daigneault – Coaching career
Daigneault began to work as a coach while he was a graduate assistant at Connecticut. He was there four years with hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun.
After getting his degree in education, Daigneault first wanted to get a master’s degree but was advised by coach Calhoun and his associate head coach George Blaney to accept an assistant coach position at Holy Cross University. Both coaches gave a solid recommendation for a young Mark.
Mark Daigneault – G League experience
Daigneault was a graduate assistant at the University of Florida from 2010 to 2014. After that was head coach of the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, a team affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association, for five seasons, from 2014 to 2019.
As G League’s young head coach, Daigneault was an unquestionable success. The OKC Blue had a 143-107 record over five seasons with Daigneault.
He was named G League Coach of the Month twice and had three players called up to an NBA roster in his initial 2014-15 season.
Mark Daigneault – Oklahoma City Thunder
At the beginning of the 2019–20 NBA season, Daigneault was hired by the Thunder as a full-time assistant. His connection with head coach Billy Donovan made things easier because they knew each other from the days spent in Florida. When Donovan left OKC, the franchise appointed Mark Daigneault as their fourth head coach.
Mark Daigneault – Style of coaching
Coach Daigneault has a natural ability to connect with each player as an individual. He doesn’t treat his players as NBA players. He sees the bigger picture.
Daigneault tries to communicate with his players much more profound than most coaches do. That is why young prospects love working with him.
Mark Daigneault knows facts about everything and everyone. He is well cultured, well informed, and knowledgeable about every subject. He is knowledgeable, almost to the point of being intimidating. His intelligence demands respect.
He is more of a game manager than he is an X’s and O’s coach. He specializes in chemistry, not drawing up plays. He takes pride in molding a group of individuals into a cohesive unit. That’s why he loves the challenge of coaching a young NBA roster and building something special for the future.
Mark Daigneault – Coaching record
So far, Mark Daigneault has coached in 109 regular-season games, and he has 35 wins and 74 losses. He didn’t coach in the playoffs.
Who is the youngest NBA coach?
In November 2020, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced Daigneault as their new head coach, making him the youngest active head coach in the league and one of the youngest permanent head coaches in NBA history. He was only 35 years old at that moment.
Ryan Sanders was the youngest guy in the league history to become a head coach. When Minnesota Timberwolves appointed him as a head coach, he was only 33 old.
