Jazz Officially Announce Will Hardy As Head Coach

The Jazz have officially hired former Celtics assistant Will Hardy as head coach, the team announced in a release.

Hardy, 34, was among multiple candidates for the Jazz job, which opened when Snyder stepped down earlier this month. Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, ex-Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts and current Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin were also said to be among those in the mix.

Hardy started as a video coordinator with the Spurs in 2010, before being elevated to the role of assistant under Gregg Popovich. He was hired to Ime Udoka‘s coaching staff with the Celtics last summer.

Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was believed to be the main voice in Utah’s coaching search. Ainge spent more than a decade as the Celtics’ head of basketball operations, but left before Hardy arrived in Boston.

“Will Hardy is one of the brightest young leaders in the NBA,” Ainge said in a statement. “He understands the importance of setting a vision and creating a culture for players. He places great value on communication, player development and creating the most productive environment for players to succeed. His experience on coaching staffs that have made the NBA Finals and with USA Basketball are invaluable and have helped prepare him for this moment. We couldn’t be more excited for Will to lead the Jazz moving forward.”