Danny Ainge on Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy – Deseret News

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When you’ve been in the NBA as long as Danny Ainge – 43 years and counting – you gain a wealth of knowledge about coaches, coaching styles and the traits that make an NBA coach successful.

Ainge was one of the decision-makers in the Jazz front office who gave the green light this week to exercise head coach Will Hardy’s five-year contract option as he enters his third year coaching the Jazz. Overall, Jazz executives said it’s a no-brainer because of how well Hardy has performed in his first two years at the helm, but also because he seems like the right person as the Jazz continue their rebuilding process.

So I asked Ainge, given his wealth of knowledge, what sets Hardy apart from other coaches around the league?

“I think what sets him apart is that he knows the game very well and has always been a development coach, but it’s just his communication,” Ainge said. “He is great at communicating with players, building relationships and having one-on-one conversations.”

It’s a notable trait that players picked up on early on when Hardy was head coach. He makes every effort and sincerely tries to get to know the people on his team, not just the basketball player. He even noted that his biggest off-season priority was to deepen and continue to build the relationships he has with his players.

“I think building a foundation of personal relationships is really important for coaches and players,” Hardy said. “Because there are moments in the season when it’s emotional for all of us. There is fatigue, sometimes conversations are uncomfortable, there are moments that can heat up the atmosphere. And if you have the foundation of a personal relationship underneath it all, there’s never any question whether it’s personal or not.

In addition to communication skills, Ainge also pointed to Hardy’s desire to always consume information and try to learn something new.

“He’s always trying to learn,” Ainge said of the Jazz head coach. “Will loves learning. He’s also had some great mentors that he’s worked with in the past and watches what other teams are doing, but it’s communication that sets him apart.”

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Quote of the week

“I was supposed to wear a moose shirt today.” — Danny Ainge asked about his end-of-season “big game hunting” quote.

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