The Memphis Grizzlies shocked the basketball world on Friday morning, when they revealed in a terse press statement that they had fired six-year head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games remaining in the regular season.
"I'm genuinely appreciative of Taylor's contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons," Memphis president and general manager of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in the statement. "This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor's leadership."
It's a stunning development, and one that must have opposing Western Conference squads salivating. Any signs of internal weakness represent an opportunity for the opposition.
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Jenkins had led the Grizzlies to a 250-214 overall record (.539). In charge since two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant was a rookie in 2019-20, he guided the club to two 50+ win seasons. Memphis could not have notched a third such year in 2024-25, with a 44-29 record and nine games left to play. Jenkins coached the Grizzlies to three playoff berths, with a fourth again seeming likely had he finished out the season.
As Shams Charania of ESPN notes, Jenkins will now be one of the most coveted head coach free agents this summer.
The Grizzlies have dropped four of their last five contests, with oft-hurt Morant on the shelf due to a hamstring strain.
So who will Memphis look to hire next?
Jenkins had a deep bench of assistants. With little time left and a postseason to prep for, it seems more likely than not that the Grizzlies will install someone from among Anthony Carter, Erik Schmidt, Noah LaRoche, Tuomas Iisalo, Pat St. Andrews, Jason March, Joe Boylan, or Patrick Mutombo.
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But what if the club opted to look outside the box and decided to bring in someone else?
Here are a few contenders worthy of consideration.
1. Frank Vogel
Vogel, currently a coaching consultant with the lowly Dallas Mavericks, has often gotten short shrift during his tenure as a head coach. He revamped the Paul George/David West/Roy Hibbert-era Indiana Pacers in the 2010-11 season, ultimately guiding the club to two straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2013 and 2014, and five playoff berths during his six years at the helm.
Following two underwhelming seasons with some ill-fitting Orlando Magic rosters, Vogel was brought in to coach his one-time playoff nemesis, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20. As he had in Indiana, Vogel cultivated one of the league's best defenses and helped L.A. navigate a difficult playoff situation (living within the Orlando bubble campus during a COVID-19-truncated season) en route to capturing a championship.
The Lakers suffered some brutal injury luck in the follow-up season and playoffs, losing in the first round. Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka panicked and blew up the roster, leading to a disappointing 2021-22 season. Vogel most recently coached the Phoenix Suns to a 49-33 record and a first-round playoff sweep in 2023-24. Vogel was let go after just one year with the club. Now, armed with a "better" roster on paper under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix will be lucky to finish with a .500 record and make the playoffs at all.
All told, Vogel boasts a 480-422 regular-season record as a head coach and a 49-43 playoff record. He's made the playoffs in eight of his 12 seasons, and won eight playoff rounds in that span.
With former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way for Memphis this season, the Grizzlies need a defense-oriented coach who has experience with big personalities and veteran-laden rosters. Vogel is that guy.
2. Becky Hammon
Hammon, a Hall of Fame point guard during her WNBA playing days, has become one of the most venerated coaches in basketball.
She served as an assistant coach under longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich from 2014-21, and though she's interviewed for a head coaching gig with the Portland Trail Blazers and a general manager job with the Milwaukee Bucks, Hammon ultimately failed to secure either role.
She returned to the WNBA, where she was quickly hired to coach the starry Las Vegas Aces. Hammon led the Aces to two consecutive championships during her first two years in the job. During her three years in the role, Hammon has led the Aces to an 87-29 overallregular-seasonn record and a 19-6 playoff record. The club has made the playoffs and won at least a round in all three of Hammon's seasons in charge.
Like Memphis, Vegas is a defense-oriented club led by a two-way superstar in two-time MVP center A'ja Wilson, and Hammon has proven herself to be relatively terrific at providing a steadying hand as a head coach.
3. Dan Hurley
Hurley, like Hammon, is another star coach beyond the NBA. His University of Connecticut Huskies were recently eliminated in the Round of 32 by the Florida Gators, which ended their own bid for a three-peat.
Hurley did recently interview for an NBA job, when he spoke with the Los Angeles Lakers about their vacancy last summer. He ultimately turned the gig down to return to the NCAA.
The 52-year-old boasts a 316-174 overall head coaching record during his tenures with Wagner, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. He has led the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament in all of the last five seasons. His championship teams, again like Memphis, were defense-first.
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This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 1:56 PM.