What's new
By:

Jazz hire New Assistant Coach

mellow

mellow

Well-Known Member
Atlanta took all our players, and Jazz are taking all Atlanta's coaches.

Jody Genessy @DJJazzyJody
The Utah Jazz are hiring Atlanta Hawks strength and conditioning coach Jeff Watkinson as an assistant coach, according to @CVivlamoreAJC.

Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Former strength coach at #iubb and individually for @Eric Gordon. You're getting a great one, @Gordon Hayward. twitter.com/CVivlamoreAJC/…


I don't know who he is or how he fits into the existing staff, but welcome aboard Jeff.
 
They hired a strength coach as an assistant coach? That seems odd. Or maybe we brought in their head strength coach to be our assistant strength coach since ours is retiring?
 
Broncster said:
They hired a strength coach as an assistant coach? That seems odd. Or maybe we brought in their head strength coach to be our assistant strength coach since ours is retiring?
Click to expand...

Probably to help with the strength and conditioning. I'm not sure that the title's necessarily need to match. Teams structure their coaching and support staff as needed to accommodate what they have to work with.
 
Broncster said:
They hired a strength coach as an assistant coach? That seems odd. Or maybe we brought in their head strength coach to be our assistant strength coach since ours is retiring?
Click to expand...
From an outsider looking in, it sure seems like the Hawks could have used a better strength and conditioning coach during the playoffs.
 
I wonder if this will be a dedicated staffer for Dante Exum? I think I remember hearing that Quin is credited with developing Denis Schroeder in ATL, maybe he's doing something just for Exum.

Or maybe this is to brace for the heretofore unannounced departure of a current staff member.
 
https://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-watkinson-leaves-for-position-with-jazz/nmY54/
Hawks’ Watkinson leaves for position with Jazz (updated)
4:05 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, 2015 | Filed in: Hawks

The Hawks are in need of a strength and conditioning coach as Jeff Watkinson will leave the organization to take a assistant coaching position with the Jazz.

Watkinson spent three seasons with the Hawks in the position. He will be reunited with Quin Snyder in Utah. Snyder was an assistant coach with the Hawks last season before leaving to take the head coach position with the Jazz. The two also worked together at Missouri.

“We are excited for Jeff as he enters this next phase of his career,” Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He was an important part of our player development program and his positive relationships with our players, coaches and support staff will be greatly missed. We wish him the best of luck as he joins Quin’s staff in Utah.”

Watkinson played baseball on scholarship at North Carolina State, where he graduated with a pre-medicine degree. He earned a master’s in exercise science from Indiana and was the strength and conditioning coach at the school from 2006-10. In addition to his stint at Missouri, Watkinson worked at Clemson, Charlotte and the College of Charleston. He also owned and operated Wat Training, where he worked by NB players on condition and basketball development skills.

Watkinson was part of the Hawks staff that coached at the NBA All-Star Game this year under Budenholzer.
Click to expand...
 
Worked twice with Snyder? Probably knows him well and will hit the ground running as it will be business as usual to him.
 
Magic Spray said:
I wonder if this will be a dedicated staffer for Dante Exum? I think I remember hearing that Quin is credited with developing Denis Schroeder in ATL, maybe he's doing something just for Exum.

Or maybe this is to brace for the heretofore unannounced departure of a current staff member.
Click to expand...

Someone already left to be a HC at a small college school.
 
The machine has yet to be invented that can measure my ambivalence to this news.
 
LogGrad98 said:
The machine has yet to be invented that can measure my ambivalence to this news.
Click to expand...

Yeah, in and of itself it's not a big deal but this is obviously a move to solidify QS's vision and make it more "his" team. And I'm all for that.
 
candrew said:
Yeah, in and of itself it's not a big deal but this is obviously a move to solidify QS's vision and make it more "his" team. And I'm all for that.
Click to expand...

Still hoping "his" team includes Chip Engelland. Jazz were reportedly interested last year. Hoping for more of a push to get him this offseason. Think he'd do wonders with this young, ascending squad.
 
Broncster said:
They hired a strength coach as an assistant coach? That seems odd. Or maybe we brought in their head strength coach to be our assistant strength coach since ours is retiring?
Click to expand...

You think strength is not important? This is prof sports. I am a strength trainer, what dumb of a title. I tell you this is more important than practice free throws. You see out of shape Dante is? If I know anything of J.W. He will not put up with Dante's lack conditioning. I mean like does he even try?
 
[size/HUGE] boobs [/size];1062198 said:
You think strength is not important? This is prof sports. I am a strength trainer, what dumb of a title. I tell you this is more important than practice free throws. You see out of shape Dante is? If I know anything of J.W. He will not put up with Dante's lack conditioning. I mean like does he even try?
Click to expand...

He has already come back early (one of 4-5) and started training early hitting the gym, etc.
 
[size/HUGE] boobs [/size];1062212 said:
9 month training plus full season to get in shape? Why you make excuse.
Click to expand...

During the season you're more recovering. I don't count the months prior to him being drafted as the jazz weren't involved with his development.


Looking forward he's hitting the gym hard and that's a good sign.
 
Here's a BAD sign wrt the new coach (hopefully I am just being a nancy!). The Hawks in the Playoffs were hurt really badly by the injury bug!!! I hope this doesn't have anything to do with the trainer, but it makes you wonder. Probably not due to the types of injuries that were suffered... Still....

The Blazers looked like a team on the rise under McMillan with Brandon Roy about 5 years ago. Then... the injury bug killed them. McMillan got the boot even though his team was a GREAT team. The team hit the reset button and lucked out with Damian Lillard who was our guy. But still... the point is that a trainer can blow up a team OR can help a team rock and roll.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top