‘Curious Learner, Diligent Worker, Creative Thinker’
Mark Daigneault is the Thunder’s New Head Coach
By Nick Gallo | Broadcast Reporter & Digital Editor | mailbag@okcthunder.com
Additional reporting by Paris Lawson
RESPECT IS THE BASELINE. That’s a given for any person that Mark Daigneault comes across. Admiration, that’s the next level of connection; it’s what the new Thunder head coach taps into with the players, coaches and staffers he works with.
The 35-year-old Daigneault has been promoted steadily up the Thunder ladder, from OKC Blue head coach to Thunder assistant to now, the lead job on the Thunder bench. He feels that especially at the NBA level, every player deserves admiration and acceptance for who they are on the road to helping them be the best they can be. That’s the starting point, to chase down the vision players have of themselves and plugging it into the narrative of the team in a way that elevates the group as a whole.
“Every player is a person first,” Daigneault said. “I always have just relied on instincts of connecting with the person first and really having an appreciation for the person.”
In order to do that, Daigneault has to make true connections. He has to tap into what makes each player tick. To empathize with their struggles, to understand their motivation and to value their intrinsic worth. In a sense, over the course of his season as a Thunder assistant coach, five years as head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue and his time on the staffs of Billy Donovan at the University of Florida, Ralph Willard at Holy Cross and Jim Calhoun at University of Connecticut, Daigneault has taken on the role of a storyteller with his players, narrating their uniqueness back to them in a way that inspires.
In addition to those coaches he’s worked with along the way, Daigneault has a role model outside of the sports world that has captured his thoughts and attention: Bruce Springsteen.
“I'm a big fan of the person. I'm inspired by his work ethic and how true he is to himself. That's what appeals to me about him,” Daigneault said. “When you're somebody like myself that has aspirations and has dreams, it's so powerful when people that you admire are vulnerable enough to tell you where they fall short, and where they struggle.”
He often uses Springsteen songs in film sessions, some for camaraderie, others for humor. Once, he strung together clips of his team’s turnovers, saying that he was going to at least enjoy himself a little bit if he had to watch his squad kick the ball around.
The Boss is one of the most famous musicians in American history, not just because of his chart-topping hits like “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road” and “Dancing in the Dark.” It’s also due to his loyalty to his E Street Band mates and to his longevity as an artist and a storyteller, which has demanded that he create music not about himself, but rather giving a voice to those who don’t have a microphone.
In “The River,” Springsteen tells the story of his sister and brother-in-law’s struggle as teenage parents, thrust into an unexpected life together. In “Youngstown,” Springsteen dismays at the birth and death of an American steel city and its workers. In “Born in the USA,” Springsteen narrates the story of a Vietnam War veteran returned to a home as foreign as the place he was deployed.
If Daigneault has taken anything from the 71-year-old rock star, it’s the ability to put himself in another’s shoes. That’s one of the many qualities that struck Thunder General Manager and Executive Vice President Sam Presti early on, when a 26-year-old Daigneault was a player development specialist at Florida, enhancing the games of future prodigies like NBA All-Star Bradley Beal. The Washington Wizards guard posted online after the news of Daigneault’s hiring broke, saying, “Never been so happy for a guy!”
“Talk about a dream, try to make it real”-Badlands
Daigneault was an education major at UConn. His mother is a special education teacher in his hometown, Leominster, Mass. His sister is also an educator. His wife, Ashley, a gymnastics coach at the University of Oklahoma. His grinding work ethic comes from his father, he says, but his intuition as a teacher and ability to connect with those he’s charged to help comes from the women in his life.
In 2003-04, as a fresh-faced teenager on the UConn campus, Daigneault’s eyes grew wide as he took on the role of undergrad assistant and watched Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and three other future pros lead the Huskies to a national championship.
“When I was in college at UConn, I literally had never been around a high-level team before, and there you are, every day,” Daigneault said reverently. “My freshman year, the team won the national championship. It was staggering to be, I wouldn't even say I was a part of it, I was just observing it. But I had access to it.”
The four years of experience at UConn helped him land an assistant coaching job at nearby Holy Cross, where he worked for three years. He then earned his masters degree in Sports Management at the University of Florida while working as a graduate assistant under Donovan, and that’s where he and Presti met.
A year before Donovan left Gainesville, Fla., to become the Thunder head coach, Presti saw potential in a 29-year-old Daigneault, characterizing him as a “curious learner, diligent worker and creative thinker."
“Trying to learn how to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be”-Backstreets
Daigneault was hired as the OKC Blue’s first head coach after the development team trekked down I-44 from Tulsa, getting even more intertwined with the Thunder and giving Daigneault the clearest window into what it takes to be an NBA head coach. Presti and Donovan ensured that the Thunder ION was always open to Daigneault and his staff.
“(Donovan) gave us unprecedented access to the Thunder team,” said Daigneault. “Those experiences put me in this position.”
As G League head coaches rate, Daigneault was an undeniable success. He was named Coach of the Month twice and had three players called up to an NBA roster in his initial 2014-15 season. The Blue compiled a 143-107 record over five seasons as Daigneault navigated in-flux rosters and experimental league rules.
“I’m grateful for the fact that the Thunder have raised me as a professional basketball coach and as a head coach,” said Daigneault. “I want to thank Sam for always seeing me as what I can be as opposed to what I am.”
“We can’t underestimate the level of experience he’s gained at an early age,” said Presti. “The G League is a massive incubator for learning.��
“I’ll be there on time, and I’ll pay the cost, for wanting things that can only be found”-Darkness on the Edge of Town
During Wednesday’s introductory news conference, Daigneault mentioned that playing with great pace and spacing will be critical to any NBA offense moving forward – all the data proves it’s the most efficient way to play. He noted that there are some things that are timeless in basketball, that transcend who is on the team. Yet the execution of those core tenets of sound basketball must be tailored in a way that accentuates the players on the roster and their skillsets. Finding the balance is crucial. Doing so in a way that is respectful to the players, front office and coaching staff is how Daigneault will be able to leverage his ability to connect with the individual to enhance the team as a whole.
“The league is so competitive. Everybody's just trying beat the tar out of each other every single day, and it forces you into a ton of dilemmas and you have to really problem solve,” Daigneault said.
“He has a real modern approach to today’s NBA,” Presti said. “I’ve seen it on a lot of levels, but it comes down to relatability. Being inclusive and empowering others to help him learn and how he applies it on the floor to ultimately help the players. He’s constantly looking for ways inside and outside the sport to help players get better.”
In the NBA, particularly in the Western Conference, it’s incredibly challenging to be competitive against hungry and talented opponents each night. As a worker, that’s where Daigneault shines. He’s tenacious in terms of his attention to detail and has provided an impact for the organization on a number of levels – from stepping in to help during the playoffs after G League seasons ended to running pre-Draft workouts with players. On Wednesday, Daigneault became the first NBA head coach to have also helmed that organization’s G League team. A major reason he broke through that barrier is his work ethic and studious nature.
“Mark is an active listener whose genuine desire to learn is contagious. He has great awareness during games and attention to detail in film study. I really enjoyed working with him last year and I’m happy for him,” said veteran center Mike Muscala. “I think he’ll do a great job.”
“They couldn’t have found someone better!” added forward Abdel Nader. “And over the past two seasons he has helped me with the mental aspect of the game and life! Can’t wait to start!”
“We stood side by side, each one fighting for the other”-Blood Brothers
“Built to be disrupted” is how Presti described the NBA as an industry. As the coach of the OKC Blue, Daigneault experienced even more disruption than exists at the Thunder level. Rosters are constantly changing in the G League. Players get placed on assignment, get called up, get traded or sign contracts overseas in the middle of the season, meaning a head coach must be able to adapt on the fly and bring newcomers into the program quickly and meaningfully.
As Presti mentioned, Daigneault also looks outside of basketball to help his groups improve. Personal lessons he’s derived value from in terms of his own happiness and well-being come in the form of a pair of initiatives he introduced each season to his Blue teams: a commitment to gratitude and a “be where your feet are” approach.
Daigneault cites studies that show that being grateful and present are two cornerstone, controllable traits that have a major impact on how people, and therefore players, feel, act and perform regardless of their role or circumstances. Whether it was by taking time before each practice to have the team show their thankfulness for one another or to remind players to stay in the moment, Daigneault stays in the trenches with his players, coaches and staffers.
“He’s collaborative in nature,” Presti said of the man he hired to be the fourth head coach in Thunder history. “He sees the different people in the organization … that have a hand in making the trains run every day. He does an excellent job of empowering those people and making them feel a part of the process, which is a sign of true leadership. That elevates the building.”
As a result, when Presti announced the news to the Thunder staff on Wednesday morning, Daigneault was flooded with texts, calls and social media posts from family, friends, colleagues and players. Darius Bazley posted a 😁 and Dennis Schröder’s “That’s so tuff” was followed by 🔥 and 💯 emojis. Daigneault sent out a text to the entire Thunder roster Wednesday morning about his excitement to get to work. Minutes later, in the early morning hours on the West Coast, Chris Paul called him back to say congratulations.
With the NBA Draft fast approaching, free agency looming and the start of training camp in early December, Daigneault and the Thunder will be very busy over the next few weeks. No matter what the roster looks like or who the Thunder plays in its season opener around that planned Dec. 22 start date, the team and its people are in good hands.
“We’re ready for whatever comes our way, always,” Daigneault said.
The new Thunder head coach signed off on Wednesday following his media obligations, a smile stretching across his face.
He channeled The Boss’ “Land of Hope and Dreams,” riffing, “Grab your tickets and your suitcase, Thunder’s rolling down these tracks.”
