The Utah Jazz have agreed to terms with Atlanta Hawks assistant Quin Snyder on a deal which will make him their new head coach, the team confirmed on Friday.
In a press release, part-owner Greg Miller spoke highly of the coach, saying:
“He has an impressive basketball pedigree, including more than a decade of head coaching experience that positions him well to succeed in the Jazz organization. We look forward to Quin’s contributions both on the court and in the community.”
The team’s general manager, Dennis Lindsey, also released the following statement:
“[Quin Snyder] is passionate about the game and has a 20-year track record of developing young talent. His personality, work ethic and communication skills are important traits that will benefit the Utah Jazz. We have taken a significant and exciting step forward in the evolution of this franchise.”
Snyder, who has no previous head coaching experience at the NBA level, will replace former coach Tyrone Corbin on the Utah bench, and will receive a three-year contract, with a team option for a fourth year.
Most of Snyder’s coaching experience has been in the college ranks, where he spent seven seasons at Duke as an assistant coach on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff between 1993-99, before serving as Missouri’s head coach between 1999-2006.
After that, he coached in the NBA’s developmental league for four seasons before a short one-year stint as a coach for Russia’s CSKA Moscow. Snyder also served as an assistant for the Lakers during the 2011-12 season before joining Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta before last season.
“The opportunity to join the Utah Jazz and to be part of such a highly respected franchise with an incredibly bright future is a great honor,” Snyder said after the hiring. “I approach this opportunity with gratitude and humility and am committed to doing everything I can to help the Jazz become a championship-caliber team.”
Snyder definitely has his work cut out for him, as Utah endured a disastrous campaign last season, finishing last in the Western Conference with a 25-57 record.
Among other candidates strongly considered for the job were Chicago Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry.
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