Report: Grizzlies to add Jeff Bzdelik to coaching staff

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the Memphis Grizzlies are in the process of adding former Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik to their coaching staff.

A veteran in the NBA, Jeff Bzdelik’s coaching start first began in 1978 as an assistant coach at Davidson college. Bzdelik’s NBA coaching career would begin 10 years later when hired as an assistant coach for the then-Washington Bullets by NBA legend Wes Unsled.

Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, confirming Stein’s report, briefly highlighted Bzdelik’s NBA coaching career.

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Since the beginning of the summer, the Memphis Grizzlies have been under the public eye. Following the publicized firing on former CEO Jason Levien and former assistant general manager Stu Lash, Robert Pera was close to relinquishing current head coach Dave Joerger of his job, allowing him to head to Minnesota. The talks came down to the swapping of assets (second-round pick) for Joerger, but Pera and Joerger eventually hashed things out, allowing the second-year coach to continue his head coaching career in Memphis.

With Zach Randolph re-signed for the next three years as well as the addition of Vince Carter, the Memphis Grizzlies are in position to compete in the Western Conference as they have in the last few years.

Bzdelik joins Elston Turner, Duane Ticknor, Bob Thornton, and Shawn Respert on the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff.