On his first official day as an employee of the Utah Jazz, Will Hardy was walking through the Zions Bank Basketball Campus practice facility when he got the awkward feeling that everyone present had stopped what they were doing to look at him.
For a few seconds, he was confused by the attention. Then suddenly it hit him.
After finishing up his introductory news conference Tuesday morning at the Legends Club within Vivint Arena, he was asked if it had all fully sunk in yet.
“It’s sinking in. It still really feels surreal. The press conference being done is a huge relief,” he acknowledged. “It definitely feels more real than it did yesterday.”
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After finishing up his introductory news conference Tuesday morning at the Legends Club within Vivint Arena, he was asked if it had all fully sunk in yet.
It’s sinking in. It still really feels surreal. The press conference being done is a huge relief,” he acknowledged. “It definitely feels more real than it did yesterday.”
Hardy spent last season as the lead assistant for the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, and spent the previous 11 years in the San Antonio Spurs organization.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Will Hardy, left, answers questions along with Danny Ainge, CEO of basketball operations, during a news conference announcing Hardy as the new Utah Jazz head coach at Vivint Arena, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Will Hardy, left, answers questions along with Danny Ainge, CEO of basketball operations, during a news conference announcing Hardy as the new Utah Jazz head coach at Vivint Arena, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.
Jazz CEO Danny Ainge noted that the team cast a wide net in its search for the successor to Quin Snyder, but added that it became apparent early in the process that Hardy had become the favorite.
He noted that in doing research on all the candidates, many were described as a good guy, or knowledgeable, but the word that kept coming up with Hardy was “special” — which is not the case with many people.
Will’s presence, his confidence, his knowledge, his basketball acumen … he’s a great relationship-builder,” Ainge replied after being asked what in particular stood out. “… We put him through some exercises — basketball scouting reports, player development plans — and he seemed very, very qualified, and on top of that, in his answers, he spoke my language.”
Ainge said he and general manager Justin Zanik and others in the team’s search committee brought their recommendation to owner Ryan Smith and part-owner Dwyane Wade, but were prepared to go back to the drawing board if those two didn’t sign off
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