Jazz Season Preview: HC Will Hardy is a Long Term Solution

This is good news for Utah Jazz fans.

Mar 31, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

On Friday, the Utah Jazz announced they are exercising the team option on head coach Will Hardy’s contract. According to NBA Insider Michael Scotto, Hardy is entering the third year of his contract, and the option year that Utah picked up is the last year of his four-year contract. Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik issued a statement about the news.

The Utah Jazz have exercised the fourth-year option on head coach Will Hardy’s contract, team says.

GM Justin Zanik: “Will has done a great job of guiding our program and instilling the right values and competitive habits with our young group. The organization looks forward to… pic.twitter.com/drQLKbKKjw

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 27, 2024

“Will has done a great job of guiding our program and instilling the right values and competitive habits with our young group,” said Jazz general manager Justin Zanik. “The organization looks forward to developing with Will as we strive for long-term success through strategic and deliberate growth.”

Hardy came over from the Boston Celtics, where he was an assistant coach under Ime Udoka—before Udoka, Hardy spent time with the San Antonio Spurs with Hall-of-Famer Greg Popovich. 

Hardy has been in a rough couple of years since arriving in Salt Lake City. Utah has outperformed the oddsmakers predictions in both years, but post-trade deadline deals have prevented the Jazz from having a shot at postseason play. The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be another year in which Utah will be rebuilding and playing for draft position.

Being guaranteed to be Utah’s coach for the foreseeable future does buy Hardy some time to restore the Jazz to relevance. Hardy joins All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen as two critical pieces that will be around for the rebuild. Markkanen signed a five-year extension that runs through the 2028-29 season.

So, what does this mean for the Jazz moving forward? Hardy has to be chomping at the bit to have enough talent to make some noise in the postseason. However, this might not come to fruition during the length of Hardy's current deal. To reap the rewards of these tough times, the Jazz may need to extend Hardy beyond the four years he's signed up for.

Utah picking up another year on his current deal tells us that Hardy is on the same page as the front office. Also, based on what's transpired since making the coaching change in 2022, the Jazz understands that Hardy will have plenty of options for finding employment when his current contract runs its course. Locking up Hardy for at least one more year makes sense not only in the present but also in the future.

It's a recipe that should result in both parties continuing a relationship when the current contract runs its course. That should give the Jazz enough time to build a roster that can get back to the playoffs and Hardy an opportunity to coach a team in which the rebuilding phase is a thing of the past.

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