Jason Terry returning to NBA as Jazz assistant coach

The Utah Jazz opted not to go with Jason Terry as their head coach, but that hasn’t kept the Jet from landing in Salt Lake City.

New Jazz coach Will Hardy is adding the former Arizona Wildcats guard and longtime NBA standout to his first coaching staff as an assistant, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.

Terry had spent the past season as head coach of the G League’s Grand Rapids Gold, going 17-15 but missing out on the postseason. Prior to that he was an assistant for one season at Arizona on Sean Miller’s final staff in 2020-21.

The Jazz interviewed the 44-year-old Terry during its search to replace Quin Snyder but ended up hiring Hardy, 34, who was an assistant with the Boston Celtics in 2021-22 after spending six seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

Terry played 20 seasons in the NBA, retiring in 2018. He was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 1999 after playing for the UA from 1995-99 and earning Pac-10 Player of the Year honors as a senior.