The Memphis Grizzlies hit the NBA circuit in 1995. They were initially the Vancouver Grizzlies before moving to Memphis in 2001.
Since making their NBA debut, the Grizzlies have a regular-season record of 824-1,161. They've been to the playoffs 10 times but have never gone to the NBA Finals.
For this piece, we'll be taking a look at the four best coaches in Memphis franchise history, starting off with the Hall of Famer.
4. Hubie Brown
Brown won 83 games with the Grizzlies from 2003 to 2005. He was named Coach of the Year in 2004 after leading Memphis to 50 wins.
Hubie ranks fourth in franchise history in all-time wins. He was unfortunately never able to win a playoff game but he's still a legend in the NBA in general.
Brown was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 as a contributor. He does great work for ESPN.
3. Mike Fratello
The man they call “The Czar of the Telestrator” won 95 games with the Grizzlies. He's got the second-most wins in franchise history.
Memphis made the playoffs twice under Fratello, who wound up going winless in the postseason just like Brown.
Fratello's regular-season winning percentage of .534 is good for third in franchise history.
2. Dave Joerger
The Grizzlies made the playoffs all three years Joerger was head coach. Dave won 147 games with Memphis in the regular season. He's second in franchise history for wins.
In the postseason, Joerger compiled a record of 9-13. His nine postseason wins are good for second in franchise history as well, as is his playoff winning percentage of .409.
1. Lionel Hollins
Hollins is the longest-tenured coach in Grizzlies franchise history. He coached Memphis for seven years.
The club made the playoffs only three times under Hollins but they made it count. The Grizzlies went 18-17 with Lionel in the postseason. Hollins has the most regular-season and playoff wins of all-time in Memphis coaching history.
Coached by Hollins, the 2012-13 Grizzlies made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. The team got swept by the San Antonio Spurs. That particular Memphis team hasn't been topped by any future Grizzlies squad.
However, the new Memphis group led by Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and coach Taylor Jenkins are eager to make noise once sports are resumed. The Grizzlies were in the 8th spot in the West before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19. They were one of the biggest surprises of the season.
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