Head coach Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies watches from the sideline during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 19, 2025, in Portland, Oregon.
The Memphis Grizzlies announced on Friday they have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Jenkins, 40, became Grizzlies head coach in 2019 after spending five seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and one season as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Memphis reportedly will name Tuomas Iisalo as its interim head coach, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Iisalo, of Finland, coached Paris Basketball in 2024 and won the EuroCup and EuroCup Coach of the Year.
The Memphis Grizzlies are naming assistant Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach, sources tell ESPN. Iisalo, a native of Finland, is a former Finnish professional player and coach. He was head coach of Paris Basketball in 2024, winning the EuroCup and EuruCup coach of the year. pic.twitter.com/nKPCdzh7Ms
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2025
Jenkins went 250-214 in the regular season with Memphis, making him the winningest head coach in franchise history, and guided the team to three playoff berths. He also finished second in NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2021-22.
Additionally, the Grizzlies parted ways with assistant coaches Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews, Charania and Tim MacMahon added, citing league sources. LaRoche was responsible for an offensive philosophy shift this season.
Memphis is poised to make the playoffs once again in 2024-25. The team sits at 44-29, putting them in a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings despite the team battling injuries across the roster. The team has lost four of its last five games and is 8-11 since the All-Star break.
NBA
With just nine games remaining in the regular season, the Grizzlies will now look to different leadership.
“I’m genuinely appreciative of Taylor’s contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons,” Grizzlies president and GM of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor’s leadership. I wish Taylor the very best going forward.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
