Former Grizzlies assistant Scoonie Penn on Taylor Jenkins: ‘I learned so much from him’

March 29, 2025

Former Memphis Grizzlies assistant James “Scoonie” Penn suggested he was as surprised as everyone else at the sudden parting of ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday, with just nine games left in the regular season.

The Grizzlies (44-29) enter Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers (44-29) in a tie, record-wise, for fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Memphis is just two games behind the Denver Nuggets for second.

Penn is a former Ohio State point guard who teamed with Michael Redd in the Buckeyes’ backcourt from 1998-2000. He served as an assistant coach in Memphis from 2019-2024.

“He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever been around,” Penn said of Jenkins, via Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Everybody would tell you how smart he is, but he also works really hard. He doesn’t just say, ‘OK, I know everything.’ He is an easy person to work with because he wants the best for everybody. I learned so much from him.”

Penn, 48, wasn’t the only person surprised by the decision. A source told Cole that some of the players were “shocked” as well.

The Grizzlies have the fifth-youngest roster in the NBA and Jenkins will exit as their all-time winningest coach, surpassing Lionel Hollins, as Cole mentioned.

“As this season went on, the numbers continued to suggest an early playoff exit was in the future,” Cole wrote. “With an 11-20 record against teams above .500, they have the worst winning percentage of the top nine seeds in the West. Those struggles have grown since the All-Star break. Memphis has an 8-11 record since then and has dropped from the No. 2 seed to No. 5.”

NBA sources told Hoops Wire they thought that there could be a coaching change in Memphis after the season — but were shocked at the timing of the decision.

Some wondered if there wasn’t more than Jenkins’ coaching in play. “Has to be,” a rival GM said.

First-year assistant Tuomas Iisalo has been named interim coach and will have every opportunity to keep the job before the Grizzlies conduct a summer search.