The Utah Jazz will have a new head coach in the 2022-2023 season.
Quin Snyder has chosen to step down as Utah’s head coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After eight seasons as coach, Snyder simply decided that it's time to step away. Conversations had been amicable with team, relationships still strong, but Snyder has decided to leave after building the Jazz into a perennial playoff contender. https://t.co/1NCpfsgKku
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2022
Snyder released a statement, in which he said that he “strong” feels that the Jazz “need a voice to continue to evolve.”
“At the core, and what drives me every day is our players and their passion for the game, their desire to constantly work to improve and their dedication to the team and the Jazz. I strongly feel they need a new voice to continue to evolve. That’s it. No philosophical differences, no other reason. After eight years, I just feel it is time to move onward,” Snyder said in a statement. “I needed to take time to detach after the season and make sure this was the right decision.”
With Snyder’s resignation, Wojnarowski adds that Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell is “unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future.”
ESPN Sources: In aftermath of Quin Snyder’s departure as Utah Jazz coach, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is described as “unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future.”https://t.co/hR6H1tKGX0
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2022
Snyder, 55, has been the Utah head coach for the last eight seasons. The Jazz went 372-264 (.585 winning percentage) in that time, and they went 49-33 (.598 winning percentage) in the 2021-2022 season. However, despite great regular-season performance, Utah hasn’t been able to make it past the conference semifinals (but many basketball evaluators would argue that’s due more to roster talent in a star’s league than a head-coaching problem).
Before joining Utah, Snyder had various assistant coaching jobs in pro basketball, and he became well-known on the coaching scene as head coach for the Missouri Tigers (1999-2006).
Here’s a look at how the basketball world is reacting to Quin Snyder resigning as Utah Jazz head coach:
Sources: Among initial candidates for Utah’s open head coaching job: Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2022
Quin Snyder and the Jazz made the playoffs each of the last 6 seasons, which is the longest active streak in the West.
However, they were not able to reach the Conf. Finals during Snyder's tenure. Utah played 51 playoff games in the last 6 seasons, tied for 2nd most in the West. pic.twitter.com/JLOCPL8KXt
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 5, 2022
I'm guessing Quin Snyder takes a year off and then replaces Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. This is a thought I've shared on recent episodes of @FrontOfficeShow.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 5, 2022
Utah makes it official and says Quin Snyder is leaving his post as Jazz coach.
Snyder is widely expected to take a season off and then become one of the NBA’s most coveted coach candidates … and, as we’ve been writing since March, potentially Pop’s successor in San Antonio. https://t.co/Z15OvEhWzP
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 5, 2022
With Quin Snyder stepping down, Terry Stotts would be an obvious name to look at. But I think the Jazz take their time and conduct a thorough search. I also think they will be open to considering assistants
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 5, 2022
I always thought Quin Snyder was going to be the Laker coach, now that they hired Darvin Ham. I’m willing to bet he takes a year off and ends up in Philly after that. Just throwing a wild one out there.
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) June 5, 2022
Snyder was the fourth-longest tenured coach in the NBA, only the fifth coach in Utah Jazz history. He took a team that was last in the Western Conference and took them to first by 2021. I think this is a significant loss for the club, even if it did feel like the right time.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 5, 2022
