***Official new head coach search thread*** (merged)
- Thread starter Beantown
- Start date
This.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
Because NBA teams are scared to actually hire a Euro head coach outright. I'm hoping that the Jazz have the balls to make the move. I've been a firm supporter of Dennis Lindsey up to this point, but screwing up the coaching hire twice will really shake my faith. Passing on a quality veteran coach like Messina or Blatt in favor of the four candidates currently being bandied around would make me equal parts mad/disappointed.
They should have fired Ty Corbin last year and gone with any of Jeff Hornacek, Mike Budenholzer or Brad Stevens. That was their first mistake. I understand that they were working to ensure the tank (and that the Millers were loyal to TyCo), but it's more important to have the right general leading your troops. . . and Corbin was a mess last year. Now, there's a number of available, veteran coaches who would be good hires and they haven't seemed to show any interest in any of them.
I'm underwhelmed by the whole process at this point. I'm still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he doesn't hire a good coach then the whole tanking and rebuilding process will be all for naught.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Euros finding it hard to break into the NBA ranks. Blatt's approach will allow him to move up. It's a perfect fit if he's given the title of "Associate Head Coach" or something like that. Wish Messina would do the same in Utah. However, I doubt Kerr feels threatened since he was a high-profile candidate. He knows Blatt will come in, coach a couple of years and then move on. Would never work to have Messina be an assistant under Griffin, Snyder or Jones. IMO.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Not for a minute do I think this is all on Dennis Lindsey. I think he's been frustrated and that's why he mentioned the "extras" a Utah coach needs to do - e.g. Jr. Jazz, allowing Millers in the locker room, etc. And Rigby has since said the Jazz "marry" their coach. In sum, it's a weird job to be HC of the Utah Jazz.
Hindsight is great: Hornacek was unproven as a coach; he wasn't even the first assistant. Why not hire Earl Watson this year? They have about the same pedigree. Budenholzer? Highly-regarded assistant. Same category as Snyder and Griffin. Brad Stevens: successful college coach, but who knows what he'll do in the NBA. He was given a tanking team. Had the Jazz wanted, I'm sure they could have gone after a college coach.
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
Actually, I could easily see Messina come and work for Snyder as an assistant since they've already worked together. For me personally, I'd much rather see the Jazz hire Messina as the head coach and then talk Atlanta into giving them permission to hire Snyder as an assistant. It's a lateral move, BUT I'd compensate him well for making it.
If the Jazz surprise everyone by hiring Messina, he's going to need to build a solid bench - and having guys he knows would be a great start for his NBA career.
I'm cynical, but if I were heading the Jazz and I was even considering hiring Messina. . . I'd be using my head coach interview process to get to know a number of guys that I'd support hiring as assistants. We can only hope. . .
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Maybe the news concerning Blatt would make Messina more willing to come over as an assistant. But wasn't there a rumor that Messina had already resigned as CSKA coach and was going to be replaced by Blatt? I wonder if this means Messina will continue on with CSKA?
As for the assistant part, the new HC is usually responsible for hiring his own staff. It was franklin embarrassing that the Jazz had to help Corbin a couple of times. As a long-term assistant who knew he was the "heir-apparent," Ty should have had many contacts in place already. However, I'll bet they make recommendations to the new coach to retain Jones (if he doesn't get the position). I think Jensen and Bryant are still under contract with the team as well.
(do you see what I did in that last paragraph?)
Coach Ellis
Well-Known Member
I agree with a lot of what you've said, but allow me to expand on my earlier points -
A. It's definitely a unique position, but the plain and simple fact is that MONEY TALKS. For all the extras, if the Jazz will pay their coach well, good candidates will consider the position. Especially because of the run that Sloan had before he resigned. The Jazz are loyal to their coaches. It's a good community for coaches (and their families) to live in and they do have some young talent to work with.
B. The Millers sabotaged any chance that DL might have had to make a coaching change last year. Because they are so loyal, they didn't see the writing on the wall. Ty Corbin was done before the season ever began. My personal opinion was that they should have accelerated this process last year because I'm pretty sure that DL knew he was going to "go lean" and then hire a new coach after the season was over.
C. As such, Jeff Hornacek was already in the building and was highly regarded by the young players that this team has decided to focus on and build around. He is well-liked in the community and many viewed him as a quality head coaching candidate. When he started being mentioned as a viable head coaching candidate, many felt that the Jazz should at least consider the possibility of making the switch before another team could steal him.
D. Mike Budenholzer - again, those who wanted the team to just make the coaching change before the tank year liked him because he was a highly considered assistant for the Spurs and had a well-known relationship with Dennis Lindsey from that experience. That's a little different from Snyder and Griffin. They had worked together before and would already know what to expect from that arrangement. Brett Brown would have fit that profile too. That's the main reason why I would have included them on this list.
E. Brad Stevens - Was a young coach who was known for his analytical approach to coaching and having success with less talent than most of the teams he faced. He might be an unknown and a gamble at the NBA level, but I thought that it would have been one worth taking. Again, those who felt that a new coach was an inevitability were hoping for this kind of a hire. It sure didn't hurt that one of his top college players is one of the faces of the franchise either.
It's only hindsight if you weren't banging the drum before any of these guys were hired. I know that I was hoping that they'd make the move last year and then use the new coach's first season as a learning experience to see what the young guys were capable of doing with bigger roles and more support. It didn't happen. I just hope that they didn't miss out on three damn near perfect potential candidates last year and have to settle for a step down from that quality of coach, just because the Millers weren't willing to let go of Corbin a year too early instead of too late.
Darkwing Duck
Well-Known Member
I think the Jazz would be wary of Messina because they'd be unsure how long he'd be willing to coach a team. He's younger than I thought, so it's not as big a concern, but I wonder if the Jazz think he wouldn't be a long term staple for the Jazz.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Yes, I agree with what you said, Ellis. My main point is don't pin this hire solely on Dennis. He's identified the best candidates and it's a group decision. The Millers were always going to allow Corbin to finish out his contract. You saw what they did with Raja; they don't like to "eat" contracts. They also had a difficult time letting him go. I credit Lindsey for laying down parameters that made it IMPOSSIBLE to justify keeping Corbin, even factoring in the lousy bench.
But in terms of the potential of Budenholzer, Stevens and Hornacek, I disagree that it is any different from this season. 1) Hornacek was a HUGE gamble with very little coaching experience, not even as a lead assistant. He's like Kerr or even Watson. It was a hire that was NEVER going to happen because of Corbin's contract.
Budenholzer did a nice job this season considering the injury to Horford. But nothing spectacular (38-44). I'd suggest Snyder is as qualified, if not more so than Budenholzer. What does one expect from a coach? To win! What does one expect from a GM? To assemble the best roster. The fact Lindsey and Budenholzer had some interaction might be a plus, but a small one. It's Pops/Buford making the decisions in SA and it was Lindsey carrying out those commands in his capacity as the Asst. GM.
As for Stevens...I doubt the Jazz were EVER going to consider someone with only college coaching experience. Many high-profile and successful college coaches have been abject failures in the NBA. Will Stevens succeed? Who knows. He did about as well as expected given Boston's roster.
But in terms of the potential of Budenholzer, Stevens and Hornacek, I disagree that it is any different from this season. 1) Hornacek was a HUGE gamble with very little coaching experience, not even as a lead assistant. He's like Kerr or even Watson. It was a hire that was NEVER going to happen because of Corbin's contract.
Budenholzer did a nice job this season considering the injury to Horford. But nothing spectacular (38-44). I'd suggest Snyder is as qualified, if not more so than Budenholzer. What does one expect from a coach? To win! What does one expect from a GM? To assemble the best roster. The fact Lindsey and Budenholzer had some interaction might be a plus, but a small one. It's Pops/Buford making the decisions in SA and it was Lindsey carrying out those commands in his capacity as the Asst. GM.
As for Stevens...I doubt the Jazz were EVER going to consider someone with only college coaching experience. Many high-profile and successful college coaches have been abject failures in the NBA. Will Stevens succeed? Who knows. He did about as well as expected given Boston's roster.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Teams give permission to talk to assistants for promotions. They're still under contract as assistants. The only one who could be hired as JVG's assistant is Jones.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Sloan coached until he was 103, so Messina or JVG could coach for 30 years with the Jazz, until the team is sold by Greg.
I always envisioned Jerry dying during a game. Would have been sad, but somehow appropriate, IMO.
David Ginola 14
Well-Known Member
@IAmAUtahJazzFan: .@sportando just tweeted that Quin Snyder has agreed to a 3 year deal with the @UtahJazz
David Ginola 14
Well-Known Member
@Lockedonsports: According to @wojyahoonba the Jazz are finalizing deal with Quin Snyder to be head coach
