Former Jazz players now coach around the NBA


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — This week, Mehmet Okur was hired as a player development coach for the Phoenix Suns. He'll help to develop newly drafted big men Dragan Bender, 18, and Marquese Chriss, 19, develop the kind of skills Okur displayed during a seven-year run in Utah. Then, Okur was a fan favorite in Utah for his outside shot-making, earning the nickname "Money."

But Okur's not the only former Jazz player who has now found himself coaching the next generation. Here's the full list of NBA coaches who played in a Jazz uniform.

Tony Brown - Washington Wizards - Assistant Coach

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Tony Brown spent time as Brooklyn's interim head coach last year, now, though, that title belongs to Kenny Atkinson. He's now been added to Scotty Brooks' staff in Washington. Brown played just 23 games for the Jazz in the 1990-91 season, scoring 3.4 points in 11.6 minutes per game.

Jarron Collins - Golden State Warriors - Assistant Coach

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jarron Collins played an eight-year career with the Utah Jazz after being drafted 52nd overall by the team in 2001. He was solidly below-average the entire time, but made rosters with his defensive smarts and good attitude. After retiring in 2011, Collins worked for the Los Angeles Clippers as a scout in 2013, then was hired by Steve Kerr as a player development coach for the Warriors in 2014. He was promoted to an assistant coach last summer. He's looked at as having future head coach potential.

Tyrone Corbin - Phoenix Suns - Assistant Coach

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Once upon a time, Ty Corbin too was considered one of the best assistant coaches in the league, with head coaching potential. Then he got to be a head coach for the Utah Jazz for four seasons and Sacramento for part of one. Both stints went relatively poorly. Now, Corbin finds himself as part of Earl Watson's staff in Phoenix, along with Okur. Corbin averaged 9.6 points in 28 minutes per game in three seasons with the Jazz between 1991 and 1994.

Billy Donovan - Oklahoma City Thunder - Head Coach

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Billy Donovan, hired as Thunder head coach in 2015, never played a regular season minute for the Jazz. He did play in the preseason, though, after being drafted in the third round of the 1987 NBA Draft. He did stick around long enough to have some pretty great stories about John Stockton and Frank Layden, though.

Howard Eisley - New York Knicks - Assistant Coach

Howard Eisley was added to new head coach Jeff Hornacek's staff this summer. In 2010, he was a player development coach for the Clippers, before being hired by the Wizards as an assistant coach in 2014. Eisley was the longest tenured backup point guard for John Stockton, playing six seasons for the Jazz and averaging 19.2 minutes per game.

Greg Foster - Milwaukee Bucks - Assistant Coach

Foster played four seasons for the Jazz as a backup center and power forward in the late '90s. I don't think people realize just how bad he was: he had PERs of 9.0, 8.4, 8.9, and 6.3 in those four Utah seasons. Since 2014, he's been an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He did have a great interview on ESPN700 this May about his time in Utah, though.

Jeff Hornacek - New York Knicks - Head Coach

You all know Jeff Hornacek, who played his final seven seasons in a Jazz uniform, enough to have his jersey number retired by the team after his retirement. After a short and ill-fated stint with the Suns, Hornacek was hired by Phil Jackson to coach the Knicks this summer. Questions: how much of what the Knicks run will be Jackson's preferred triangle, and how much of it will be what Hornacek prefers to run, a high-tempo spacing offense?

Mehmet Okur - Phoenix Suns - Player Development Coach

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Memo Okur, universally loved by everyone he meets, was named team ambassador for the Jazz last season. Now, though, he's found himself with a bigger job with the Suns under Watson and Corbin. Okur, from Turkey, averaged 15.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his seven seasons with the Jazz.

Michael Ruffin - New Orleans Pelicans - Assistant Strength Coach

Ruffin was hired by the Pelicans as a player development coach in the summer of 2014, but last season, the Pellies referred to him as an "Assistant Strength Coach", so we'll go with that. Ruffin played 41 games and 733 minutes for the Jazz in 2003-04. He shot 32.5 percent from the field. Somehow (read: Andrei Kirilenko and Jerry Sloan were incredible that year), the team won 42 games anyway.

Jacque Vaughn - Brooklyn Nets - Assistant Coach

(AP Photo/John Raoux)
(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Another Jazz backup point guard working as a coach! Vaughn either backed up or played third string to John Stockton for four seasons from 1997 to 2001 after being drafted 27th overall by the team. After his retirement, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Spurs in 2010, then was named the head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2012. After being fired in 2015, he was hired as the Nets' top assistant this offseason.

Earl Watson - Phoenix Suns - Head Coach

(AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)

Watson played three seasons for the Utah Jazz between 2010 and 2013, averaging 3.3 points and 3.8 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. After retiring in 2014, he was hired by the Austin Spurs of the D-League, then was hired as an assistant coach for the Suns in 2015. After Hornacek was fired mid-season, Watson became head coach in February of this year. He is the first NBA head coach of Hispanic descent, and now leads Okur and Corbin, his former teammate and head coach. It's funny how things work out.

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsUtah Jazz
Andy Larsen

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast