The Memphis Grizzlies announced on Friday that they have dismissed head coach Taylor Jenkins after over five seasons with the team.
President and general manager Zach Kleiman expressed his appreciation for Jenkins’ contributions, stating, ‘I’m genuinely appreciative of Taylor’s contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons. 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 moving forward.’
No interim head coach has been named at this time.
Currently, the Grizzlies hold a record of 44 wins and 29 losses, ranking fifth in the Western Conference. However, the team has recently struggled, losing five of their last seven games, including a defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 125-104.
During Jenkins’ tenure, the team recorded 250 wins and 214 losses, with a postseason record of 9 wins and 14 losses, making him the franchise’s winningest coach. Jenkins led the team to the playoffs three out of the past five seasons.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has been a standout performer for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 22.4 points per game. He was also named to this year’s NBA All-Star Game roster.
This marks Jenkins as the second NBA head coach to be relieved of their duties this season, following Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings. Jenkins previously served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks before taking the head coach position with the Grizzlies in the 2019-2020 season.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
