Utah Jazz Make Sergi Oliva Hiring Official
Oct 16, 2020, 3:20 PM | Updated: 3:29 pm
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center on October 28, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz officially announced the hiring of new assistant coach Sergi Oliva. The native of Catalonia spent the last six seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers before joining on the Jazz on coach Quin Snyder’s bench. Oliva was promoted to vice president of strategy with the 76ers before last summer but was released from the team after a shakeup in the front office.
“A native of Gelida, Catalonia, he first joined the 76ers in 2014 as a Basketball Operations Analyst after he’d earned multiple degrees from Polytechnic University of Catalonia, including a Ph.D. in Computational Complexity and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science,” the Jazz release read.
We have added Sergi Oliva to our coaching staff.
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 16, 2020
“Oliva spent 12 years previously as a head coach at the youth and senior amateur levels in Catalonia. He is also a regular collaborator of the Catalan Basketball Federation (FCBQ), particularly as a lecturer in their coaching certification courses.”
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oliva’s analytics-driven approach helped determine the 76ers rotation and substitution patterns.
The hiring of Oliva marks the third coach added to Snyder’s staff since the Jazz were eliminated from the playoffs last month, and the second former executive to accept a coaching role with the Jazz.
The @UtahJazz are adding former @sixers executive Sergi Oliva to Quin Snyder's coaching staff. #TakeNote https://t.co/STqb9287KQ
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 16, 2020
In late September, the Jazz announced the hiring of former New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps to Snyder’s bench. Demps had been Snyder’s boss while the Jazz coach was overseeing the Austin Toro’s of the NBA D League.
“Oliva spent 12 years previously as a head coach at the youth and senior amateur levels in Catalonia,” according to the Jazz release. “He is also a regular collaborator of the Catalan Basketball Federation (FCBQ), particularly as a lecturer in their coaching certification courses.”
