The Long Island Nets turned to a familiar face to replace Mfon Udofia, promoting associate head coach Shawn Swords to head coach just hours after Udofia was officially hired as an assistant coach by the Orlando Magic.
Swords becomes the eighth head coach in franchise history, taking over after spending the last three seasons as an associate head coach with Long Island. He now steps into a role that comes with plenty of responsibility, especially after Udofia became the winningest coach in Long Island history and left a lasting mark on the organization.
Long Island general manager Matt MacDonald said the promotion reflects the work Swords has already put in behind the scenes.
“Shawn has been a cornerstone of our staff since joining the organization, and we’re thrilled to elevate him to head coach,” said Long Island Nets General Manager Matt MacDonald. “He has been an invaluable presence on our bench and a trusted voice in the development of our players. His experience, basketball acumen and dedication to the organization have prepared him to lead our team on Long Island, and we’re excited to support Shawn and his staff as they guide the next generation of talent.”
Swords’ coaching roots go back more than two decades, to his time with the Canadian national team. His approach has long been built around a straightforward idea: do what you do all the time to make yourself invaluable. He played alongside Steve Nash and under Jay Triano on Canada’s team that finished 5-2 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
After that, Swords returned to Canadian college basketball and served as head coach at Laurentian University from 2007 to 2022. He later joined the G League club after Nash, then head coach of Brooklyn, recommended him for the assistant job.
As a player, Swords spent five college seasons at Laurentian from 1992-1997, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, and was a second-team All-Canadian. He helped lead the Voyageurs to the CIAU national championship Final 8 semifinals in 1996-1997. Before getting into coaching, he also played professionally overseas for 10 years, from 1997 through 2007, including stops in France and Italy.
His track record in player development has already been central to Long Island’s recent success. Swords and Udofia were both heavily involved in developing key Brooklyn players, including Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson, along with other players who spent time with Brooklyn and later moved on to other NBA teams, such as Killian Hayes, Drew Timme and Kendall Brown.
Now he’ll be tasked with guiding the next wave of Long Island and Brooklyn talent. That group could include members of the Flatbush 5 returning for another season, along with players from last year’s roster.
Chaney Johnson, Malachi Smith and Grant Nelson, who all played for both Long Island and Brooklyn last season, are likely to see time with Long Island, as is 2026 second-round pick Tyler Bilodeau, who has already signed to a two-way deal. At least three Summer League roster players are also expected to land in the G League: guard Dion Jones, forward Ben Humrichaus and center Duke Brennan.
Swords also brings international coaching experience to the job. He was an assistant with the Canadian Junior National team in 2010 and 2011, and later worked at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship.
Beyond the men’s game, Swords has also built a strong record in women’s basketball. His daughters, Syla and Savannah, are both top Canadian players. Syla was the youngest player on Canada’s women’s Olympic team in Paris, starred as a five-star recruit at Long Island Lutheran and is now a top player at the University of Michigan.
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