Will Hardy Signs Contract Extension Through 2031
May 5, 2025, 8:23 AM | Updated: May 6, 2025, 9:50 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz have signed head coach Will Hardy to an extension that will keep him under contract through 2031.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith announced the extension on social media.
“We are excited to extend Will Hardy’s contract as head coach of the Jazz through 2031,” Smith said. “Will is a great leader, communicator, and ambassador for our org, and is a tremendous partner to Danny [Ainge], [Justin Zanik], and me. Our goal is to hang a banner, and Will is a huge part of this journey.”
We are excited to extend Will Hardy’s contract as head coach of the Jazz through 2031. Will is a great leader, communicator, and ambassador for our org, and is a tremendous partner to Danny, JZ, and me. Our goal is to hang a banner, and Will is a huge part of this journey. pic.twitter.com/DbIenZzse1
— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) May 5, 2025
Jazz Sign Will Hardy To Extension Through 2031
Hardy’s extension comes on the heels of the Jazz finishing the 2024-25 campaign with the worst record in franchise history.
At 17-55, the Jazz owned the league’s worst record and will have a 52.1 percent chance of landing a top-four pick in next week’s NBA Draft lottery.
“I told Ryan, and Danny, and Justin that I want to be here for as long as I can,” Hardy said after the conclusion of the season. “The goal for me is to put a banner at Delta Center.”
Will Hardy signed a new six-year contract extension with the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Hardy has been tasked through the development years of the Jazz, and now locked in well beyond. https://t.co/753rbsHLot
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 5, 2025
Hardy, 37, joined the Jazz in 2022 just before the team blew up the roster, trading away Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, and Bojan Bogdanovic, just two seasons after finishing with the best record in the NBA.
The Jazz are 85-161 in Hardy’s three seasons with the team.
“I’m putting my roots here in Utah, that’s not even a question for me,” Hardy said. “In some ways, my conviction has never been stronger in terms of wanting to execute our long-term vision and ultimately win a championship here.”
The organization had picked up Hardy’s fifth-year option that would have kept him in Utah through 2027, but now gives the coach job security well beyond the first contract he signed with the team.
The extension puts to rest any discussion that the team might be looking to replace Hardy in the near future after they finish rebuilding the roster through the draft.
Hardy, a Richmond, Virginia native, came to Salt Lake from the Boston Celtics.
In his first season leading the team, Hardy posted a 37-45 record. His second season saw a 31-51 record as the team is in a major rebuild, focusing on developing young talent.
“I will always credit our team’s resilience, another example that we just won’t go away. … It’s a great opportunity for our team to learn that we have to maintain that focus.”#TakeNote
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 27, 2022
The coach began his NBA career in San Antonio, working as a video assistant for Brett Brown under Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.
Hardy worked his way up through the coaching ranks in San Antonio before following fellow assistant Ime Udoka to Boston to lead the Celtics.
In one season as Udoka’s top assistant, the Celtics won the Eastern Conference before falling to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 Finals.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
