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Jazz introduce Snyder as coach
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The Utah Jazz introduced new coach Quin Snyder in a press conference Saturday.
Snyder, the former Missouri coach, spent last season as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks.
Snyder signed a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year, according to reports. He replaces Tyrone Corbin, who was not offered a new contract after the season.
Snyder is the Jazz’s eighth head coach and the first hired outside the organization since 1979.
“For a coach to have the loyalty of the ownership group, you feel you don’t need to skip steps,” Snyder said. “It’s a process and sometimes there is pressure to accelerate that process but we want to build something that will last.”
Snyder has not been a head coach in the NBA but worked as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers before going to the Hawks last season.
“Trust is something that’s earned,” Snyder said. “It takes time but with players, they always respond when you give yourself to them and help them get better. They then give back to you. Those relationships are what drive player development.”
Snyder was the head coach at Missouri from 1999 to 2006, leading the Tigers to four NCAA Tournaments before leaving in the shadow of an NCAA investigation. He served as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA Development League team and also gained professional experience as an assistant for CSKA Moscow, a European power coached by the legendary Ettore Messina.
Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsay worked with Snyder while both were with the Spurs’ organization.
“There was a point in my career when I left Missouri when I just wasn’t sure I wanted to continue coaching,” Snyder said. “I had to rediscover my passion for the game over the next few years and I was so fortunate to work with an amazing caliber of coaches.”
Among the finalists for the Utah job were Los Angeles Clippers lead assistant Alvin Gentry and Chicago Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin, according to ESPN.
The Jazz finished the 2013-14 season with a 25-57 record. Corbin was 112-146 in three-plus years as coach.
