Will Hardy Secures His Future with the Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz and their coach, Will Hardy, have reached an agreement to extend their contract for several years, ensuring his stay until 2031. The news was announced by team owner Ryan Smith on Monday.
Will is a great leader, communicator and ambassador for our organization, and he is a tremendous partner for CEO Danny Ainge, GM Justin Zanik and for me. Our goal is to hang a banner, and Will is a fundamental part of this journey.
Ryan Smith
Hardy, 37, was hired to coach the Jazz before the 2022-23 season. During his three seasons, he has compiled a record of 85-161, failing to qualify for the playoffs.
In its first season, Utah won 37 games, followed by 31 in the second and only 17 this season, representing the worst record in franchise history and the worst in the NBA this current season.
Hardy has been in charge of the Jazz’s reconstruction, focusing on the development of young talents. In the last weeks of this season, Utah did not have players over 27 years old, ending up with the youngest roster in the NBA.
I am honored. This is an incredible franchise. Being able to commit to the next phase of our process is hard to explain. Moments like this are very surreal. I am very excited.
Will Hardy
The Jazz have several positive aspects for this offseason. They have four picks in the upcoming draft, including two first-round picks, and have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and obtaining the first overall pick.
In addition, the team enjoys greater financial flexibility this summer due to the expiration of contracts. Only one player, Lauri Markkanen, exceeds $30 million in salary for next season.
Before joining the Jazz, Hardy worked as an assistant to Gregg Popovich at the Spurs (2015-2021) and to Ime Udoka at the Celtics, reaching the NBA Finals in his only season in Boston in 2022.
He was also an assistant for USA Basketball for the team that won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Will’s leadership has been invaluable to our program. He has established a vision for our players and a solid foundation of core values, competitive habits, and a growth mindset. He is one of the brightest young coaches in our league, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him.
Danny Ainge
