On Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that the team was hiring Taylor Jenkins as the team’s head coach starting in the 2019-20 season.
Jenkins had been serving as one of Mike Budenholzer’s top lieutenants in both Atlanta and Milwaukee, and he clearly served as a guiding force in the development of various players over the years.
The role of Jenkins consistently grew to the point that he was right in line with former player Darvin Ham on Budenholzer’s staff as a top assistant.
Budenholzer’s coaching staff is becoming something of an incubator for future head coaches, as he has seen Quin Snyder, Kenny Atkinson and now Jenkins join the head coaching ranks after starting out under Bud.
Budenholzer was obviously fond of Jenkins, and he spoke proudly of his former assistant in an interview with Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It would be hard to put into words what Taylor has meant to me, to the coaching staff that he’s been a part of – with me specifically for six years and the years in San Antonio,” Budenholzer said.
“He’s just an incredible, incredible human. He brings an incredible work ethic, the attention to detail, the feel for the game, the understanding of what’s important in building relationships. Just making a train keep moving, he’s been incredible for me and I’m forever, ever grateful to him.”
With an interesting young core as well as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Jenkins' developmental chops will be tested as soon as next year with the Grizzlies.
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