The Memphis Grizzlies have officially removed the interim tag on Tuomas Iisalo, making him the team’s full-time head coach.
“I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward,” team president Zach Kleiman said in a statement. “Tuomas’ teams at every level have been disciplined, tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor, consistently exceeding expectations. We look forward to the same in Memphis.”
Iisalo took over as Memphis’ interim head coach after the team fired Taylor Jenkins in late March. The Finnish tactician compiled a 4-5 regular season record to take the eighth seed in the Western Conference (48-34).
After finishing as the eighth seed, Memphis lost to Golden State in the first round of the play-in tournament but qualified for the postseason with a win over Dallas. However, they were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round.
Memphis Grizzlies News: Ja Morant voices his approval on hiring Tuomas Iisalo
Memphis are banking on team continuity under Tuomas Iisalo, and Ja Morant approves this move, even if the fans are not yet convinced.
“He holds everybody accountable,” Morant said about Iisalo via Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Jonah Dylan. “But he also instills all the confidence in you.”
Iisalo faces the daunting task of turning Memphis’ fortunes around because they haven’t advanced to the second round since the 2021-22 campaign. Iisalo had little time to implement changes after taking the interim head coaching role, but he will now have a full offseason to do so.
