Jazz sign head coach Will Hardy to extension through 2031

SALT LAKE CITY — After two surprise late-season firings, all Will Hardy could do was crack a joke.

"It's a good time for us; we're doing great," he deadpanned.

The statement was dripping in sarcasm, but it turns out, Hardy is doing pretty well after all. The Utah Jazz signed the 37-year-old head coach to a multi-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2031.

"I think that's ultimately a big sigh of relief for any coach," he said. "We all see every day that this business it's not one where you see a ton of coaches getting long-term commitments."

The move is a clear sign the Jazz see Hardy as a coach who can (eventually) lead the team after the long rebuild.

Hardy was hired before the 2022-23 season — the same offseason the Jazz hit the reset button, trading away franchise pillars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Those deals kicked off a long rebuild project that has yet to bear much fruit.

But that's far from Hardy's fault.

Hardy has compiled an 85-161 record in his three seasons, with no playoff appearances; however, his teams overachieved in his first two years and were in postseason contention before midseason trades forced a tumble towards the bottom of the standings.

This past season, the Jazz didn't wait until the middle of the season to tank. Utah's front office told Hardy to prioritize youth, even if it hurt the Jazz's chances of winning — and it did. Utah finished with a league-worst 17-65 record.

Even as the losses piled up, Hardy has maintained a strong reputation around the league, with his name even being thrown around this season as a potential replacement for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.

Hardy has brushed off any notion that he'd be interested in leaving the team during the rebuild.

"I just think Will is a star," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said earlier this season. "I think he's one of the brightest coaches in the league."

Hardy began his coaching career in San Antonio under Popovich, before becoming the lead assistant in Boston for a season. Boston made the NBA Finals in his lone season with the team. He's also helped USA basketball, rubbing shoulders with some of the game's top minds.

"He's, obviously, coaching a young team, so he hasn't been able to really show what he could do yet as a coach," Kerr said.

That much is true. And it's difficult to truly evaluate a coach when the stakes aren't too high. But the Jazz think they've seen enough to know he's who they want leading the team when they start trying to win again.

Under him, Lauri Markkanen turned into a star player, Isaiah Collier morphed into a playmaking maestro, and Kyle Filipowski improved his shot midseason. And when given a competent roster, Hardy has shown he can at least compete.

You can make the argument that the Jazz might be a little further along in the rebuild without Hardy mish-mashing competitive units together in his first two seasons. Rebuilding is an odd business.

"Will's leadership has been invaluable to our program. He has established a vision for our players and a strong foundation of core values, competitive habits, and growth mindset," Jazz executive Danny Ainge said. "He is one of the brightest young coaches in our league, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him."

And Hardy feels fortunate that the fan base, for the most part, understands what the Jazz are doing. Yes, it's a slow build — something he understands more than anyone — but he believes it will pay off. As he's watched the postseason, it's hard for him not to envision a packed Delta Center during a deep postseason run.

"That's what we all want. You want to be in the big game, you want to be in the pressure situation, you want to be competing for the championship," he said. "That's what we're all hunting."

That makes it tough to remain patient.

But he has a message to the fans who are getting a little rebuild fatigue: "This is all going to be worth it."

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