The Utah Jazz have hired ex-New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale but not for the position you might expect. While they need a new head coach, the Jazz opted to make Fizdale a part of their front office instead.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Fizdale will join the organization as associate general manager. The 48-year-old, who has 18-year coaching experience in the NBA, is expected to work closely with CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik.
Former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade, who is one of the investors in the Jazz, reportedly pushed hard for Fizdale to be interviewed for the position of a new head coach. But while Wade’s push did not gain much traction, the rest of Jazz brass liked the idea of having Fizdale, who is well-respected around the league, in a front-office role.
In the meantime, the Jazz reportedly also sorted out their head coaching vacancy. The franchise decided to hire Boston Celtics’ assistant Will Hardy as Quin Snyder’s successor. Hardy, who will become the youngest head coach in the league, is reportedly set to join on a five-year deal.
David Fizdale spent his early coaching days with Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat before taking over as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Fizdale lasted a season and a half in Memphis and was fired following a 7-12 start of the 2017–18 campaign. He also coached the New York Knicks, but this tenure had a similar ending as the one with the Grizzlies.
