SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz named Quin Snyder Friday as their new head coach, and they said he would be formally introduced at a press conference scheduled for Saturday.
Snyder will be the eighth head coach for the Jazz and the fifth since the team moved from New Orleans to Salt Lake City in 1979, according to a press release from the Utah Jazz.
“On behalf of the Miller family, I welcome Quin Snyder as the new head coach of the Utah Jazz,” said Greg Miller, chief executive officer of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies in the press release. “He has an impressive basketball pedigree, including more than a decade of head coaching experience that positions him well to succeed in the Jazz organization. We look forward to Quin’s contributions both on the court and in the community.”
Snyder recently completed his first season as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks under Mike Budenholzer, where he helped that team to a 2014 playoff appearance.
“The opportunity to join the Utah Jazz and to be part of such a highly respected franchise with an incredibly bright future is a great honor,” Snyder stated in the press release. “I approach this opportunity with gratitude and humility and am committed to doing everything I can to help the Jazz become a championship-caliber team.”
The team began looking for a new coach after the April 21 announcement that coach Tyrone Corbin’s contract would not be renewed.
Snyder, 47, has also previously worked as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Clippers, Duke University and the University of Missouri.
According to the press release: “Born in Mercer Island, Wash., Snyder was a two-time Washington player of the year and a McDonald’s All-American. He played collegiately at Duke (1985-89), appearing in 136 games for the Blue Devils and reaching three Final Fours. He was elected as a team captain and honored as an Academic All-American during his senior season.
Snyder and his wife Amy have a daughter, Anika, and son, Wyatt, and are currently expecting another addition to the family. He is also the proud father of son Owen. Snyder earned undergraduate degrees in both philosophy and political science from Duke, later earning a Juris Doctor and M.B.A. from Duke as well.”
