The Los Angeles Lakers were linked to a handful of candidates before they decided to bring in Darvin Ham as their new head coach this summer. One of the names that were rumored to be in the running for the position was former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. Even though he wasn’t selected for the job, it seems that Snyder still plays a key role for the Lakers right now.
Ham himself revealed that he’s been in constant communication with Snyder, who he had the privilege of working alongside many years ago when they both served as assistant coaches for the Lakers under Mike Brown. Apparently, Ham has been seeking advice from Snyder all along (h/t Lakers reporter Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet):
Ham mentioned several friends and colleagues in the business from whom he’s gotten advice, including former fellow Lakers assistant (and long time Jazz head coach) Quin Snyder, who he calls a few times a week and said is his: “Pro bono coaching consultant.”
Snyder recently resigned as the Jazz head coach and is now on a self-imposed coaching hiatus. He’s not totally out of the game, though, with Ham turning to him for advice and support.
At this point, maybe the Lakers should just hire Snyder and add him to Ham’s coaching staff. He’s been giving Ham some valuable advice on a “pro bono” basis, and he might as well make some money out of it, right? Then again, Snyder could be serious about taking some time off the game as he potentially prepares himself for his net head coaching gig.
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