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The Utah Jazz have exercised the choice on head coach Will Hardy’s contract, the staff announced on Friday.
Hardy is heading into his third season with the staff. The phrases of the choice weren’t disclosed.
The 36-year-old is the second-youngest head coach within the NBA behind the Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla. He has led the Jazz to a 68-96 total report since becoming a member of the rebuilding franchise forward of the 2022-23 season.
“Will has achieved an important job of guiding our program and instilling the precise values and aggressive habits with our younger group,” Jazz basic supervisor Justin Zanik mentioned in a press release. “The group appears to be like ahead to growing with Will as we try for long-term success by means of strategic and deliberate development.”
Hardy beforehand labored within the San Antonio Spurs group between 2010 and 2017, together with a task as an assistant video coordinator through the Spurs’ run to the 2014 title and 6 seasons as an assistant coach below Gregg Popovich.
He then served as an assistant coach for the Celtics behind Ime Udoka for one season, which was capped off by Boston’s run to the 2022 Finals, earlier than changing into the primary head teaching rent of Ryan and Ashley Smith’s tenure because the Jazz staff homeowners.
The Jazz’s resolution to train the choice will hold Hardy in Salt Lake Metropolis by means of the 2025-26 season, by which level Utah could possibly be hoping to be engaged on constructing a postseason contender.
Utah has locked in Lauri Markkanen for the long-term with the August contract renegotiation and extension that can hold the previous All-Star ahead with the Jazz by means of the 2028-29 marketing campaign.
The Jazz’s resolution to increase Hardy’s contract means they imagine he’s the precise coach to assist the franchise rejoin the postseason image for the primary time since 2022.
