Jazz Snyder Finishes Third In Coach Of The Year Voting
Jun 7, 2021, 6:00 PM
Head coach of the Utah Jazz Quinn Snyder gives his team instructions during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 3, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz will have to wait another season in hopes of earning the NBA Coach of the Year Award after Quin Snyder finished third in voting.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau won the award after leading the unheralded roster to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams finished second in voting.
The 2021 NBA Coach of the Year, @nyknicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. pic.twitter.com/JhHbco3yEf
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 7, 2021
The Jazz haven’t won the award since 1984 when Frank Layden was named Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, and won the NBA Citizenship Award for work in the community.
Snyder was named a finalist for the Coach of the Year award in late May after he led the Jazz to the top record in the NBA for the first time in team history. The Jazz earned home-court advantage throughout the playoffs despite losing All-Stars Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell in his backcourt for a combined 41 games during the regular season.
The Jazz owned the best record in the NBA for all but two nights over the final 103 days of the regular season, while Snyder was named Coach of the Month in January and February.
Thibodeau barely edged Williams for the award, winning 351 combined votes to Williams 340. The Suns head coach earned more first-place (45) votes than Thibodeau (43), but received fewer second-place votes (42-32) which resulted in the loss.
Seven years in, Quin Snyder said he's thankful for the opportunity the @utahjazz gave him and the players he's coached along the way.
"Anytime you’re able to coach for a number of years in this league, you’re really fortunate.”#Takenote https://t.co/lwc7lF3300
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) June 7, 2021
Snyder finished a distant third in the voting, earning 161 total votes including 10 first-place votes.
Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Sloan never won the Coach of the Year award despite leading the Jazz two the top record in the West twice during his tenure. The legendary coach retired with 1,221 career wins, the fourth most in NBA history.
The Jazz haven’t gone empty-handed in end-of-season award voting, however. Jordan Clarkson was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, the first time in franchise history the Jazz won the award, while Rudy Gobert is the strong favorite to earn his third Defensive Player of the Year award.
