MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Stunning move from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Taylor Jenkins fired as head coach after six years and a franchise record 250 wins. The team’s president and General Manager Zach Kleiman thanked Jenkins for his work and wished him well, calling it a difficult decision.
Anyone that’s watched the Grizzlies recently knows this team has struggled…and for a while now.
Since the All-Star break, the Grizzlies are just 8 and 11 with those struggles now costing Jenkins his job.
The Grizzlies, second in the Western Conference standings for most of the season, have now slipped to fifth with a real possibility of losing homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
They also haven’t fared very well against the league’s best teams.
33 and 9 against teams under .500. Just 11 and 20 against those above .500.
As for what’s next? The Grizzlies naming lead assistant Tuomas Iisalo being named as the team’s interim coach.
Ironically, Iisalo, who was a part of a major overhaul to Jenkins’ staff over the summer, coached the Grizzlies for one game back in November while Jenkins was dealing with a death in the family. That game was against the Lakers. The same team the Grizzlies play in their next game, Saturday night. The first of three pivotal home games over the next four days.
The Grizzlies and Lakers own an identical 44-29 records.