In July, the Deseret News reported that four assistant coaches under former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder would remain part of new head coach Will Hardy’s staff but that Hardy may look externally for a lead assistant.
On Thursday, the Jazz announced that they have finalized their staff, and it includes those four — Alex Jensen, Lamar Skeeter, Bryan Bailey and Irv Roland — along with a bunch of others, including Jeff Hornacek, who is returning to the organization as a “coaching consultant.”
The Jazz’s announcement does not specifically say who the lead assistant will be, although Jensen held that role under Snyder, and no external hire ended up being made.
What exactly Hornacek’s role will entail is also not clear, although it will mark his third stint with the organization.
Hornacek played for the Jazz from 1994-2000 and was an assistant from 2011-2013. After that, he was head coach of the Phoenix Suns (2013-2016) and New York Knicks (2016-2018) and an assistant with the Houston Rockets (2020-2022).
Hardy’s full staff is as follows:
- Alex Jensen
- Lamar Skeeter
- Bryan Bailey
- Irv Roland
- Evan Bradds
- Sean Sheldon
- Jason Terry
- Chris Jones — player development coach
- Sanjay Lumpkin — player development coach
- Jeff Hornacek
Terry is certainly another notable name. The longtime NBA guard was a candidate for the head coaching job before Hardy got it. The Deseret News reported in July that he would be joining the staff.
Bradds, whom also was previously reported to be joining the Jazz, follows Hardy from the Boston Celtics, where the two were on staff last season. Sheldon, also previously reported, comes from the San Antonio Spurs, where he was a video coordinator with Hardy.
Jones and Lumpkin have been with the Jazz previously.
In addition to the coaching staff, Anthony Beaumont will be the video coordinator (it is increasingly common for video coordinators to rise up the coaching ranks, with Hardy being a prime example), Andrew Warren and Matthew Temple will be assistant video coordinators and Becca Ward will continue her role as director of team operations.