It’s already been established that Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s staff will look a bit different next season, with assistants Alex Jensen and Irv Roland having been let go.
And there’s already been one report out there about Olimpia Milano coach (and former Spurs assistant) Ettore Messina being a candidate to join Hardy in Salt Lake City — though Messina was noncommittal about the idea when contacted by The Salt Lake Tribune.
On Monday, a new report emerged detailing not only the addition of a familiar face to Hardy’s staff, but the rumored subtraction of another existing assistant.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto cited league sources in reporting that Scott Morrison, who most recently served as the head coach of the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, will be promoted to Hardy’s staff.
Morrison has also previously served as the head coach of the Australian NBL’s Perth Wildcats, and was an assistant coach on Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics staff for three seasons.
(Charles Krupa | AP file photo) Scott Morrison, right, served as a Boston Celtics assistant coach for three seasons under Brad Stevens, before coaching in Australia's NBL, then serving as the head coach of the G League's Salt Lake City Stars this past season. Per a report, he's set to join Will Hardy's staff as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz.
As for the departure, Scotto also reported that Bryan Bailey — a holdover from Quin Snyder’s staff, and a front-row assistant to Hardy this past season — is now a candidate to join Snyder’s new staff in Atlanta, as are ex-Jazz assistants Jensen, Igor Kokoskov, and Antonio Lang.
Bailey, who joined the Jazz staff in July 2019, has also headed up some of the team’s Summer League entrants the past few seasons, including in Las Vegas in 2021, and in Salt Lake City last year.
When Snyder was hired to take over the Hawks in February, he retained fired coach Nate McMillan’s staff for the remainder of the season, though it was expected that he would re-shape the staff to his liking once Atlanta reached the offseason.
Following the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Celtics, it was reported by Zach Klein of WSB TV in Atlanta that Snyder would be replacing almost all of his Atlanta staff.
It now appears he could be set to fill his staff with several former Jazz colleagues.
Jensen, a Utah native, actually preceded Snyder with the Jazz, having been hired to Ty Corbin’s staff after winning D League Coach of the Year honors with the Canton Charge.
Koskoskov was a Snyder assistant dating back to the University of Missouri, then joined him on the Jazz for three seasons, beginning in 2015-16, before being hired as head coach of the Suns in 2018. After one disastrous season there, he’s spent one year apiece as an assistant with the Kings, Mavericks, and Nets.
Lang joined Snyder’s staff in Utah in 2014, but was given a promotion to join John Beilein’s staff in Cleveland in 2019. Though Beilein didn’t last long with the Cavs, Lang has now spent four full seasons there.
