Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins

Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins

The Memphis Grizzlies have fired head coach Taylor Jenkins, the team announced Friday.

The @memgrizz today announced they have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins. pic.twitter.com/92PAK2NssN

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) March 28, 2025

Memphis Grizzlies announce they have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 28, 2025

Jenkins, 40, is the winningest coach in franchise history, having won 250 games upon dismissal. He is only one of three coaches in franchise history (Lionel Collins, Dave Joerger) to have won at least 100 games. His .539 winning percentage was the 13th-best among active coaches that have coached at least 400 career games.

This surprising dismissal comes with nearly two weeks before the conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season. The Grizzlies currently possess the No. 5 seed in the West, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers at 44-29. They are 1.5 games back of the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed and 2.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 seed.

The timing of this decision was poor to me. That’s not say Jenkins was perfect–he wasn’t with his rotations or schemes. Things weren’t quite clicking the way they should have. But firing a coach right before the postseason when they’re competing for homecourt isn’t very wise. Trying to integrate a new voice earlier in the season–or after–regardless if it’s in-house or not, is the smarter decision.

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Memphis has zero coaches on their staff with any head coaching experience at the NBA level. Anthony Carter, Joe Boylan and Jason March, among others, have made rounds as assistants in the NBA; March was the head coach of the Memphis Hustle (G-League) for five seasons before being elevated to the bench this year.

I just find the timing peculiar, to say the least. At the very least, it indicates that Jenkins may have lost the locker room or didn’t have great leadership. This may also be good for everyone involved when it’s all said and done. I guess we’ll see.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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