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3 candidates to replace Quin Snyder as Utah Jazz head coach

By Holden Walter-Warner

Oct 11, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder instructs his team from during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2021; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder instructs his team from during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
PORTLAND, OREGON – JANUARY 24: Associate Head Coach Johnnie Bryant of the New York Knicks looks on in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on January 24, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

3 candidates to replace Quin Snyder as Utah Jazz head coach: 2. Johnnie Bryant

Much of Johnnie Bryant’s appeal is similar to Jensen’s. Bryant is a young development coach with plenty of connections to the Jazz.

Bryant has spent the past couple of seasons as an associate head coach under Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks. Prior to that, however, he served as an assistant coach for the Jazz under Quin Snyder. Before that, he was a player development assistant for the franchise.

Going back even further, Bryant (like Jensen) played college basketball for the Utes. He’s the best three-point shooter in school history, hitting 44 percent of his attempts from beyond the perimeter, so nobody will need to teach Bryant the importance of the long ball.

Considering how recently Bryant was part of the franchise, he has plenty of connections with the team. By all accounts, he’s great at developing relationships and players really enjoy working with him, perhaps because he’s not much older than them.

According to The Athletic (subscription required), Bryant also has a close personal relationship with Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell seems to be actively questioning his future in Utah, but he probably has more long-term value than Rudy Gobert, simply based on his youth. Bringing in Bryant would signal the Jazz’s desire to keep building around Mitchell.

Bryant would likely be a popular hire among both Jazz brass and the fans. He doesn’t have any head coaching experience, so that’s a minus against him, but one could quickly point to Ime Udoka coaching the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals during his first season as a counterargument to that point.

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