Memphis Grizzlies hire Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins as head coach
Wednesday 12 June 2019 06:56, UK
The Memphis Grizzlies have hired former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins as their head coach.
The Grizzlies fired J.B. Bickerstaff at the end of the 2018-19 season and he will be introduced at a news conference on Wednesday.
"We are excited to welcome Taylor Jenkins to the Grizzlies organization," Grizzlies executive vice president of basketball operations Zachary Z. Kleiman said in a statement.
"Taylor has an excellent coaching pedigree and we are confident he will lay the groundwork of developing the young players on our roster while having the elite basketball acumen and forward-thinking positive vision to be a high-level NBA head coach."
Jenkins was assistant to head coach Mike Budenholzer for the past six seasons, five with the Atlanta Hawks (2013-18) and last year with the Bucks.
The 34-year-old becomes the third NBA coach to come directly from Budenholzer's staff, joining Utah's Quin Snyder and Brooklyn's Kenny Atkinson.
He will oversee a reshaped roster in Memphis that could include dealing point guard Mike Conley. The Grizzlies hold the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft and are expected to select Murray State point guard Ja Morant.
Bickerstaff took over as the Grizzlies' interim head coach during the 2017-18 season, and he got the job full time after the team went 15-48 with him in charge.
He produced a 48-97 overall record on the job, with Memphis missing the playoffs in both of his seasons.
