Mark Daigneault is an elite coach. That has been an opinion I have shared since before he reached the two-month mark on the sidelines in Oklahoma City. It was evident. This year, Daigneault has earned his flowers, finishing runner-up in Coach of the Year votes, and the Daigneault Darling fanbase grew.
The young head coach helped lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to 40 wins this season, fresh off a 24-win season a year ago. While not having the lone top-five pick of this rebuild, as Chet Holmgren has been sidelined since August, it was an impressive job by the Thunder bench boss to get OKC to this point. The future in Bricktown is bright as the team finished a game shy of a Playoff series in the NBA Play-In tournament. The only hiccup? Mark Daigneault’s Golf Swing.
Despite his on-floor success, Mark Daigneault might have the worst Golf Swing in the entire NBA.
Mark Daigneault spent his Thursday Afternoon up the road in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is playing with Phil Mickelson in the LIV Golf Tulsa Pro-Am. Unfortunately, his first shot of the day could have gone better.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault playing with Phil Mickelson in the LIV Tulsa Pro-Am.
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) May 11, 2023
Opening tee shot? Off my camera. 😳#LIVGolf #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/55DigdqpRk
I by no means am a Golf-pro. I have never played above Putt-Putt. However, even I know that his form initially looks pretty solid. If you cut the clip when the club stroked the ball, it certainly looks cool! The result? It was not cool. Yes, Twitter had a field day with this one.
Me Mark Daigneault
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) May 11, 2023
🤝
Sticking to put put https://t.co/ADlGbkyIxw
About as relatable as it gets right here! https://t.co/8VeYXLSpXp
— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) May 11, 2023
At someone on the scene, I thought TJ's camera was destroyed. Also as someone on the scene, I can say Coach hit his next drive much better.
— Eric Bailey (@EricBaileyTW) May 11, 2023
(Mickelson took it all in stride and said "hit another one.") https://t.co/k9ioam1GT1
Progress is not linear https://t.co/dg6xKMAgGS
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) May 11, 2023
Am I bogus if I retweet this😂
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) May 11, 2023
Thunder rookie forward Jalen Williams has also retweeted the clip of the head ball coach whiffing on the front nine. However, I am prepared to offer you the ultimate spin zone.
Mark Daigneault being awful at golf only affirms my belief that he is an elite coach. He has no time for your leisure hobby. Instead, he is in the film room grinding, helping develop players, assisting in draft preparation, and a recent father of two! I would much rather have my coach suck at golf than be like Steve Spurrier during his time with the Washington football franchise, where he spent more time at the Golf course than at the facilities in Landover. Maryland.
So maybe Mark Daigneault does have one of the worst golf swings in the NBA; perhaps it was just one lousy clip in a pressurized environment. Either way, it is just a funny break in the offseason.