Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has resigned after eight seasons in Utah, the team announced Sunday.
In a release obtained by Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck, Jazz owner Ryan Smith confirmed the news of Snyder’s surprising departure shortly after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported he planned to step down. Snyder, 55, recently led Utah to a 49–33 record and trip to the postseason, which ended in six games against the Mavericks in the first round.
“Quin Snyder has embodied what Jazz basketball is for the last eight years,“ Smith said in a statement. “The tireless work ethic and attention to detail Quin displayed each day is a testament to the professional he is. I have nothing but admiration for Quin and respect his decision.
“On behalf of Ashley and I along with our ownership group and our entire organization, we thank Quin and Amy from the bottom of our hearts for all of their contributions to the state of Utah and the Jazz and wish them nothing but the best.”
While it’s unclear at this time where Snyder will head next, SI’s Chris Mannix reported he remains eager to coach, and just felt it was time to move on. Snyder, who was notably listed as a target of the Lakers before the Darvin Ham hire, ends his Jazz tenure as the second-winningest coach in franchise history (372–264) behind Jerry Sloan.
After gaining over 20 years of experience both in the NBA and around the world, Snyder signed with Utah ahead of the 2014–15 season. After finishing below .500 and missing the postseason in his first two seasons at the helm, Snyder quickly turned Utah into a mainstay in the playoff picture with six straight winning seasons, including three finishes atop the Northwest Division.
In 2018, Snyder was named a finalist for Coach of the Year after a 48–34 finish, eventually losing the award to former Raptors coach Dwane Casey. That same season, the Jazz fell in the conference semifinals to the Rockets in six games. As it would turn out, the disappointment proved to be a recurring theme over the next several years.
While Utah maintained a slot on the short list of perennial playoff contenders for nearly a decade, Snyder and Co. were unable to translate their regular-season success to the playoffs. Despite possessing well-rounded rosters led by the likes of All-Stars Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz failed to reach the conference finals under Snyder, with all of their eliminations occurring either in the first round or conference semifinals. Overall, Utah went 21–30 in the postseason during the Snyder era.
Prior to joining Utah, Snyder, who began his coaching career with the Clippers in 1992, spent time as an NBA assistant with the Hawks (’13–’14), Lakers (’11–’12), Sixers (’10–’11). Snyder’s résumé also includes several interesting stops outside of the NBA, including a four-year stint as an assistant under the legendary Mike Krzyzewski from 1995 to ‘99. The Duke alum left his alma mater to coach Missouri for seven seasons before a four-year stint as the coach of the NBA G League’s Austin Toros, where he won COY honors in 2009.
