Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder has resigned after eight seasons with the franchise, the team announced Sunday.
Jazz ownership and management spent several weeks trying to convince Snyder to return as coach — even offering a contract extension — but he simply decided that his time had come to step away from the job, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Snyder had two years left on his contract, including his own option on the final year, sources told Wojnarowski.
Snyder, who underwent hip surgery after the season, has been recuperating back to full health. Once he decides to make himself a candidate for other coaching jobs in the future, it is expected that Snyder would be a high priority for almost any team with an opening.
In a statement, Snyder said he was “grateful” for his time with the Jazz but said his decision came down to what was best for the team’s players.
“At the core, and what drives me every day is our players and their passion for the game, their desire to constantly work to improve and their dedication to the team and the Jazz. I strongly feel they need a new voice to continue to evolve. That’s it. No philosophical differences, no other reason. After eight years, I just feel it is time to move onward,” Snyder said in a statement. “I needed to take time to detach after the season and make sure this was the right decision.”
The Jazz plan to commence on a coaching search immediately, sources told Wojnarowski.
Snyder had a 372-264 record in his eight seasons with the Jazz, matching the Golden State Warriors‘ Steve Kerr for the third-longest tenure with a team among active head coaches, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs‘ Gregg Popovich and Miami Heat‘s Erik Spoelstra.
After inheriting a franchise coming off a 25-57 season, Snyder played a prominent role in Utah becoming a perennial playoff team. The Jazz have the Western Conference’s longest active postseason streak at six years, but Utah has not advanced past the conference semifinals in this era.
Utah has undergone major changes at all levels of the organization during Snyder’s time in Utah, particularly in the past two years, including Ryan Smith’s purchase of the franchise from the Miller family and the transitioning from Dennis Lindsey to Danny Ainge as the lead basketball executive.
“Quin Snyder has embodied what Jazz basketball is for the last eight years,” Smith said in a statement. “The tireless work ethic and attention to detail Quin displayed each day is a testament to the professional he is. I have nothing but admiration for Quin and respect his decision.”