Jazz Insider Lifts Lid on Details of Will Hardy's Extension

How did the Utah Jazz head coach's extension come to form?

Mar 31, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Just over one week from the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Utah Jazz were able to ink their head coach of the future in the books with Will Hardy's long-term extension, signing him on for the next six years with a deal that spans until 2031.

After three years in the mix with the Jazz after being brought aboard during the 2022 offseason, Hardy has proven to both the Utah front office and roster that he's capable of steering the ship on the sidelines for the years ahead, even with the struggles to note in the standings seen this season.

Yet, for the Jazz, the decision to ink Hardy hasn't been anything that's come out of thin air, and apparently something that's been in the works for nearly the past year, according to The Athletic insider Tony Jones.

"Hardy’s contract extension had been in the works for almost a year. The marriage between Hardy and the front office, and Hardy and Smith has been a seamless one, which has been important as the Jazz continue to rebuild. Hardy hasn’t been given a team by the front office that’s expected to win basketball games. It’s also important to note that executive Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik were forced to tear the roster down to the nubs for the Jazz to tank a season effectively, which is an ode to how effective Hardy has been in the first legs of his coaching journey with the Jazz."

For the Jazz, keeping Hardy as the long-term coach leading this rebuild has been the plan in place from day one. Utah hired him on a five-year contract upon his hiring as an assistant from the Boston Celtics, and now, that confidence has just been reinforced with the latest extension announcement.

While logging just an 85-161 record through his three years with the team, as the arrow continues to point up for the Jazz and their rebuild, expect that win percentage to gradually increase with a special basketball mind like Hardy at the helm.

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