Inside The Celtics

Will Hardy Finalizing Deal with Jazz, Making Him Youngest Active NBA Head Coach

Though Danny Ainge and Will Hardy's time with the Celtics never overlapped, Boston's former president of basketball operations is reportedly turning to his former franchise to hire the Jazz's next head coach.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

So much for a six-week timeline. After Will Hardy emerged as a leading candidate to succeed Quin Snyder in Utah, the Jazz filled the void in half the time they projected.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Hardy and the Jazz are finalizing a five-year agreement. At 34, the now-former Celtics assistant becomes the youngest active head coach in the NBA.

In late April, he interviewed for the Kings head-coaching vacancy, which ultimately went to Warriors assistant and former Cavaliers and Lakers head coach Mike Brown.

Hardy broke into the NBA as a video intern with the Spurs in 2010. He then served as a team video coordinator from 2013 to 2015. In a testament to his basketball acuity and work ethic, Gregg Popovich conveyed the following to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

“Before long, he became the head of it, the guy that I depended on. If I wanted the post-ups or pick-and-rolls or to know why we sucked at something last night, he’d come in and say, ‘Well, look, this is what they did.’ He’d break it down for me. And I said, ‘Oh, my God, this guy is breaking stuff down just like we do.’”

Hardy earned a spot on Popovich's coaching staff in 2015, then moved from San Antonio to Boston last offseason, reuniting with Ime Udoka.

It's also worth noting Hardy's time with the Celtics never overlapped with the franchise's former president of basketball operations and current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.

Wojnarowski also reports Celtics assistant coach Joe Mazzulla was among a group of finalists, including Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, who met with the Jazz's ownership in Salt Lake City this week.

Regarding how the Celtics might replace Hardy or Mazzulla, Udoka said at an NBA Finals press conference, "we have a lot of young talented guys on our coaching staff, and we like to elevate from within whenever (it's) possible."

Further Reading

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Yam Madar No Longer on Celtics Summer League Team

Ime Udoka Sheds Light on Celtics Approach to Roster Building This Offseason

Brad Stevens Discusses JD Davison Selection: 'All you have to do is turn on a couple of minutes of clips, and you can see the upside'

Celtics Reportedly Interested in Acquiring Nicolas Batum

Latest Intel on Celtics' Summer League Roster, Including a Notable Absence

Exploring Who the Celtics Might Pursue with their $17.1 Million Trade Exception

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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