According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Utah Jazz.
The 34-year-old Hardy becomes the youngest coach in the League after helping the Celtics and first-year head coach Ime Udoka advance to the NBA Finals this past season.
Hardy, like Udoka, comes from the Greg Popovich coaching tree and spent 10 years with the Spurs from 2011 to 2021. He climbed the ranks from video coordinator to assistant under Popovich and served as the head coach of the Spurs Summer League team from 2015 to 2018. Hardy was also a member of the most recent Team USA Olympic staff in Tokyo.
Hardy’s hire comes days after Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Hardy was the “leading candidate” to become Utah’s next head coach. According to Larsen, the Jazz was reportedly looking to hire a young assistant coach to replace Quin Snyder. The move is Jazz CEO Danny Ainge’s first significant front-office move since joining Utah earlier this year.
Rumors of Donovan Mitchell’s future with the team have circulated following Snyder’s resignation as head coach earlier this month, so Hardy’s arrival will highlight an intriguing summer in Salt Lake City.
