Since April 2019, Zach Kleiman has been at the head of the Memphis Grizzlies’ front office. Most recently, he took full ownership for the surprise firing of popular head coach Taylor Jenkins. Just two months after Kleiman’s promotion, Jenkins became part of that team. He had previously learned a lot as an assistant with Atlanta and Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer. In announcing their plan to move the team, the Grizzlies pulled a real stunner. Having gone 44-29 with Jenkins this year, they’re currently fifth in the Western Conference and have just nine left to play.
This was the first time Kleiman had publicly addressed the media since Jenkins’ firing. Most importantly, he asserted that the players were not a part of this decision-making process at all. Even with Jenkins’ impressive track record of 250-214 over nearly half a decade, Kleiman understood the need for a change. He was open to going in a different direction. Along with equity, urgency was one of the guiding principles that he said informed his decision-making.
“I came to the conclusion that this is in the best interest of the team, and urgency is a core principle of ours, so decided to go on with the move.” – Zach Kleiman
The move couldn’t come at a better time. Fourth, the Grizzlies—and more specifically their defense—have been horrendous recently, losing four of their last five games by an average of 16.8 points. Over their last 20 games, they have gone 8-12, prompting Kleiman to view the coaching change as necessary to reverse their fortunes.
To fill Jenkins’ position, Tuomas Iisalo has been appointed as interim head coach. Iisalo’s record certainly speaks for itself. He was just named 2024 EuroCup Coach of the Year for his remarkable stewardship with Paris Basketball. Sheehy voiced optimism about what Iisalo will be able to do with the team moving forward, especially during this pivotal stretch.
“Looking forward to seeing what he is able to do with this group.” – Zach Kleiman
With the season nearing an end, Kleiman understands that she’s living in the moment. As he points out, we need to manage our expectations because time is running out to make big moves.
“There is realistic expectations. There’s not going to be time to install a bunch of things this time of the year. My expectations are clarity of direction, and we’ll see what we can do, we’ll see what we can execute.” – Zach Kleiman
The move comes as Jenkins departs, leaving that team in an even better position than he found it. Contrary to what his boss’s statement would suggest, Kleiman did not consult anyone on the roster before making the decision to part ways with Jenkins.
“The players were not consulted on this decision.” – Zach Kleiman
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