The Memphis Grizzlies have found their next head coach. They promoted Interim Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo to the full-time role Friday afternoon. Iisalo took over after the team fired Taylor Jenkins on March 28. Iisalo also made history as the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history. The team was 4-5 in the regular season. They advanced through the NBA Play-In Tournament before being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder. That sweep included a few historic drubbings. How will Iisalo fare as the man in charge?
Memphis Grizzlies Offseason Outlook
Iisalo takes over a Grizzlies team with a boatload of question marks. The chief among them is Point Guard Ja Morant. He is one of the league’s most exciting players but has struggled with maturity throughout his tenure in the league. If Morant does not mature, the Memphis Grizzlies will never reach their full potential.
Memphis looked like it would be a Western Conference threat after making it to the Western Conference Semifinals in 2022. They have fallen on tough times since then. Iisalo will look to return the team to the top of the conference sooner rather than later.
Final Thoughts
Iisalo had a solid coaching resume before being named head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. He won the EuroCup and EuroCup Coach of the Year in 2024. He will lean on that experience as he looks to reconfigure a Grizzlies team in freefall.
