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Kyle Ireland
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SALT LAKE CITY – Jazz associate general manager David Fizdale’s stop in Utah will only last one season, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
On Monday, June 5, Wojnarowski reported that Fizdale would be leaving Utah’s front office for an assistant coaching position on Frank Vogel’s staff with the Phoenix Suns.
Vogel was recently hired as the Suns’ head coach following the firing of Monty Williams.
“The Phoenix Suns are hiring Jazz associate GM David Fizdale as an assistant coach, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski tweeted. “Suns made a significant financial play for Fizdale and drew upon his history with new coach Frank Vogel and GM James Jones. Fizdale is a former HC with Knicks and Grizzlies.”
Fizdale As Jazz Associate G.M.
The Jazz hired Fizdale as associate general manager in June 2022. The franchise made the move shortly after announcing Will Hardy as the team’s next head coach.
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Wojnarowski initially broke the news that the Jazz planned to hire Fizdale.
“The Jazz are making a hire to the front office too: David Fizdale has agreed to become an associate GM, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski reported in 2022. “After 18 seasons as an NBA head and assistant coach, Fizdale will move into management and work closely with GM Justin Zanik and CEO Danny Ainge with Jazz.”
Fizdale previously served as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.
During the 2021-22 season, he was an assistant coach for Vogel and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fizdale has coached in college and the NBA since 1998. He began his career as an assistant coach with San Diego from 1998-02 before joining the Fresno State coaching staff from 2002-04. The Los Angeles, California native made the jump to the NBA in 2003 as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors until 2004.
After a brief stint with the Warriors, Fizdale joined the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff from 2004-08. His longest stint with any organization was with the Miami Heat from 2008-16, where he won two NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 when the Heat had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
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As one of the top NBA assistants at the time, Fizdale got his shot as a head coach when he was at the helm for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2016-17. After taking one season off, Fizdale was named the head coach of the New York Knicks from 2018-19. He then took two seasons off before joining Vogel’s staff with the Lakers.
When Darvin Ham was named the head coach of the Lakers, Fizdale was not retained.
In four seasons as head coach, Fizdale coached 205 games with a record of 71-134. In his first season with the Grizzlies, Memphis finished with a 43-39 record and lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After 19 games into the 2017-18 season, Fizdale was fired following a 7-12 start.
In New York, Fizdale and the Knicks had a 17-65 record in his first season in 2018-19. Only 22 games into the 2019-20 season and a 4-18 start, the Knicks fired Fizdale.
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