Grizzlies, Taylor Jenkins Agree To Multi-Year Extension
Coming off a year in which they went 56-26, tied for the most wins in franchise history in a single season, the Memphis Grizzlies and head coach Taylor Jenkins agreed to terms on a long-term contract extension, the team announced on Monday.
Jenkins, 37, just finished up his third season as the head coach of the Grizzlies and has led them to a 128-99 record through his first three years with the organization, taking them to the playoffs each of the last two years.
Given the historic season the Grizzlies had, Jenkins finished second in the league’s Coach of the Year award voting behind Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and Memphis finished the year with the second-best record in the league, only trailing the Suns.
“Taylor has done an outstanding job leading our team and this extension is well-deserved,” Grizzlies EVP of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman said in a statement released by the team Monday afternoon. “The year-over-year progress under Taylor speaks for itself, but his growth-oriented, selfless and competitive approach has been a driving force in the establishment of a sustainable culture.
“We have full confidence that Taylor will steer us to Memphis’ first championship.”
The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the league’s youngest teams, yet they are well ahead of the timetable many laid out for them. Ja Morant is only 22-years-old, yet he made his first All-Star Game appearance this season, he quickly became one of the young faces of the league and was voted to the All-NBA Second Team, becoming just the third Grizzlies player all-time to earn All-NBA honors.
Not to mention, Morant was named the NBA’s 2021-22 Most Improved Player, making him the first player in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year award and Most Improved Player award.
The Grizzlies appear to be “all-in” with what they have right now given the high-potential future they are staring at. Jaren Jackson Jr. agreed to a long-term extension ahead of the 2021-22 season, GM Zach Kleiman agreed to a new extension last year and with Ja Morant expected to receive a massive long-term extension this summer, the Grizzlies went ahead and extended Taylor Jenkins’ contract as well to put everyone on the same timeline.
The future is very bright for the Memphis Grizzlies as an organization and with two first-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, they have a chance to continue building off of their success in the 2021-22 season for many years to come.
