The Utah Jazz announced Monday that they agreed to an extension with head coach Will Hardy through the 2030-31 NBA season. Team governor Ryan Smith called Hardy a "a great leader, communicator, and ambassador" for the organization: The deal comes even though the Jazz finished 14 games worse than their 31-51 record last year.

The 37-year-old began his coaching career under Gregg Popovich, who recently finished his tenure as the San Antonio Spurs’ head coach in a move to become president of the team. After spending 11 seasons with the Spurs, Hardy was the lead assistant coach on the Celtics for one season, before being hired by the Jazz in 2022.

The Utah Jazz believe Will Hardy is the right person to lead the franchise back to prominence. The team announced a long-term extension with Hardy on Monday. Hardy's extension is reportedly for six seasons, keeping him with the Jazz through the 2030-31 NBA season, per ESPN's Shams Charania.