The Memphis Grizzlies named Tuomas Iisalo the franchise's new head coach on Friday. The team announced the decision following Iisalo's time as interim coach.
General manager Zach Kleiman expressed confidence in the hire. "I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward," Kleiman said. "Tuomas' teams at every level have been disciplined, tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor, consistently exceeding expectations. We look forward to the same in Memphis." Zachary Z. Kleiman
Iisalo had served as the interim head coach since late March, when he took over for Taylor Jenkins. He guided the team through the play-in tournament and into the NBA Playoffs, where the Grizzlies were swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before joining Memphis in July 2024 as the lead assistant coach, Tuomas Iisalo compiled a successful coaching record in Europe. He led Paris Basketball to the 2024 EuroCup title and earned EuroCup Coach of the Year honors. Paris also secured the French Leaders Cup and reached the LNB Pro A Finals under his direction. EuroCup
His previous European experience included coaching Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. He received consecutive Bundesliga Coach of the Year awards there in 2021 and 2022. Iisalo guided Baskets Bonn to the 2023 Champions League title and was named Champions League Coach of the Year. Earlier in his career, he coached the Crailsheim Merlins in Germany for five seasons.
Iisalo is the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history. Finnish-born head coach
Before coaching, Tuomas Iisalo played professionally for 14 years in Finland. He won the Finnish Cup in 2009 as a player for Espoon Honka. He also played for the Finnish men's national team.
Looking ahead, Tuomas Iisalo will oversee a roster that includes Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. The team enters the offseason with potential questions regarding key player contracts.
