The Utah Jazz are in the midst of a full-blown head coaching search following the unexpected departure of Quin Snyder earlier this week.
According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the organization is set to interview six head coaching candidates: Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, Celtics assistant Will Hardy, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen and former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.
Wojnarowski reports that the Jazz are in for a “lengthy, wide-open process.”
Snyder stepped down from his head coaching position following some failed contract extension negotiations this offseason. The eight-year Utah leader had two years remaining on his contract.
CEO Danny Ainge and the Jazz front office “desperately” wanted Snyder to stay on board as the team’s head coach.
Snyder went 372-264 through his eight-year head coaching tenure in Utah.
“It was time,” Snyder said, per ESPN. “Time for the Jazz to move forward. Time for me to move forward. It just made the most sense to me.”
Jazz assistant Alex Jensen is the team’s only internal candidate reported by Wojnarowski. Terry Stotts is the only candidate with prior NBA head coaching experience.