Danny Ainge Says Jazz ‘Desperately’ Wanted Quin Snyder to Stay in Utah

After accumulating a 372-264 record in eight seasons with Utah, Quin Snyder abruptly resigned as head coach of the Jazz. According to his statement, the reason behind his resignation was feeling like the Jazz needed “a new voice to continue to evolve.”

Full quote from Quin Snyder: pic.twitter.com/si5W6HY0wg

— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 5, 2022

Team CEO Danny Ainge says the Jazz wanted Snyder to return but ultimately trusted the 55-year-old to make the best decision for “him and his family.”

“We have spent the last few weeks talking, Quin and I, a lot about a lot of different things,” Ainge said during a press conference on Monday. “And I think it’s pretty clear; we desperately wanted him to stay. And at the same time, I’ve walked away from coaching, and I walked away from being a general manager after 18 years in Boston, and so I trust that Quin knows more what’s best for him and his family, much more than we do.”

After eight seasons as coach, Snyder simply decided that it’s time to step away. Conversations had been amicable with team, relationships still strong, but Snyder has decided to leave after building the Jazz into a perennial playoff contender. https://t.co/1NCpfsgKku

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2022

Snyder’s 372 wins are the second-most in Jazz history, only behind Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan’s 1,127 victories. Utah never reached the Western Conference Finals during Snyder’s tenure despite reaching the playoffs in all of his last six seasons.

Ainge says he is confident that Snyder is “going to be coaching somewhere else in the near future, next year probably.” When asked about his future, Snyder declined to comment.

“That hasn’t been on my mind at all,” Snyder said during the press conference. “Just been focused on this. I don’t know what I’m going to do next year as far as coaching next year or anything along those lines.”

In the wake of Snyder’s resignation, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was left “unsettled, unnerved, and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future.” Wojnarowski also reported that Mitchell considered Snyder a “significant part” in his decision to sign a five-year extension with Utah in 2020.

After hiring Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens during his 18-year run in the Celtics’ front office, Ainge will now lead the third head coaching search of his career.