Grizzlies have marked history by appointing Tuomas Iisalo their next head coach because he is now the first head coach of Finnish origin in the history of the NBA.
Grizzlies announced the move on Friday afternoon. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
“I have fully confidence in Tuomas as a chief coach of the Grizzlies in Memphis in the future,” said Zachary Z. Kleiman, president of the Grizzlies and Managing Director of basketball operations. “The Tuomas teams at all levels have been disciplined, stubborn and connected to the two ends of the soil, constantly exceeding expectations. We look forward to the same thing in Memphis. ”
Iisalo was initially hired by Memphis in the summer of 2024 as the team’s main assistant after a successful coaching career abroad.
In his first season of Paris basketball coach in 2023-24, Iisalo led the team to the 2023-24 Eurocup championship and won the Eurocup year coach.
As for his playing career before training, the native of Helsinki played 14 years in Finland and won the 2009 Finnish Cup. He also played 57 games for the Finnish Male National Team.
Iisalo resumed the functions of acting coach towards the end of this season when Memphis shocked Taylor Jenkins at the end of March.
Jenkins left the franchise as the most victorious coach in his history and was the fifth longest coach of the NBA. Jenkins had led the Grizzlies to a record of 44-29 and a fifth place from the West Conference before its dismissal.
With the dismissal of Jenkins so late in the season, Memphis only played nine games in the regular season with Iisalo in mind. Grizzlies went 4-5 in these games to finish the season at 48-34.
They went 1-1 in the Western game tournament, losing against the Warriors before beating the Mavericks and securing the last place of the conference.
Memphis was then swept away 4-0 by serial thunder – losing Ja more because of a hip injury for a large part of the match 3 after having a 29 -point lead with him in this match and for the whole match 4.
Iisalo can have work for him in the loaded Western conference, especially since there was a drama that seemed to be what forced Jenkins to go out just a month ago.
The heart of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane is still under contract before next season and will seek to improve under the tutelage of Iisalo.
