Born on September 12, 1984, in the county of Arlington in Texas, Taylor Jenkins is a professional basketball from the US, currently a coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Taylor Jenkins studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in economics.
He knew coaching would be his future calling as an undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania, even though he never played for the Penn basketball team at the NCAA level.
He spent his time learning about the game in college, working with a youth league that he and his friends started in West Philadelphia.
Taylor Jenkins – San Antonio Spurs
During the 2007-2008 NBA season, Jenkins interned with the San Antonio Spurs basketball operations department.
From 2008, Jenkins worked as an assistant coach and video coordinator(working under head coaches Quin Snyder and Brad Jones) and head coach for the Austin Toros, the San Antonio Spurs’ D-League affiliate team. As a coach, Jenkins led the Toros to a 27-game-winning 23-loss record in the 2012-13 season before losing to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the playoff semifinals.
In 2011-2012, Jenkins was an assistant coach when the Toros won the D-League championship.
Taylor Jenkins – Atlanta Hawks
He served as an assistant coach at the Atlanta Hawks for five full seasons, from 2013 to 2018, under Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks reached the playoffs for four years in a row, going all the way to the Eastern Conference final in 2015.
Jenkins stayed with Budenholzer for five full seasons even when things didn’t go as expected. When Coach Bud left the Hawks, Jenkins joined his staff in Milwaukee for the next season.
Budenholzer described him as someone who brings an incredible work ethic, attention to detail, the feel for the game, the understanding of what’s essential in building relationships.
Taylor Jenkins – Milwaukee Bucks
Jenkins then followed Budenholzer to become an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2018-19 season. The Bucks ended with 60 wins and clinched first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time in 45 years.
Although their Playoffs weren’t as expected, Jenkins was praised for his work and everything he did to develop players.
Taylor Jenkins – Memphis Grizzlies
On June 11, 2019, Memphis Grizzlies named Jenkins, the new head coach. Finishing the 2019-2020 season in 8 the Western Conference, the team failed to win the “play-in tournament” against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Coming into the next season, Memphis was expected to have a rebuilding year. They had two of the most promising young players in the NBA in point guard Ja Morant and big man Jaren Jackson Jr., but more than a few problems were expected.
NBA Previews projected them to be the fourth-worst team in the league. The best-case scenario model projected 35 wins. They had 10 more.
Not only are the Grizzlies exceeding their preseason expectations, but Jenkins was also getting recognized for his efforts. He was named the Western Conference Coach of the month after leading them to an 11-4 record and launching them firmly into the playoff picture in January. He’s the youngest coach to earn this award since 2003. He’s also the first Grizzlies coach to win this award since 2014.
His main idea was to give players a lot of freedom and confidence. He encouraged his players to shoot more, and that was helpful. This year, the Grizzlies are shooting 35.1% from the three-point range, up a whole percentage from a year ago. Star guard Ja Morant, expected to be much more of a driver in the NBA, has actually shot way above the team average.
With Jenkins, the Memphis Grizzlies have found their head coach for the future with one of the NBA’s most exciting young rosters. He’s gotten the most out of Morant and has cleverly used the veteran presence of Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas.
Taylor Jenkins – salary
Taylor Jenkins is assumed to earn $2.5 million per season. San Antonio Spurs’s head coach, Gregg Popovich, is the highest-paid NBA head coach with an annual salary of $11 million. As of 2021, his net worth is around $4 million.
Jenkins’ oldest son was arrested
According to local police, Alberto Jenkins, the oldest son of Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, was arrested and charged with one felony filing a false offense report.
The 24-year-old allegedly lied to police by claiming he was kidnapped and his car was stolen during an armed robbery after leaving the restaurant he works at. An affidavit recorded Jenkins as saying the men robbed him of his car, cell phone, and $750 in cash, but he could not identify where the men dropped him off when pressed by police.
According to court documents, Jenkins told police he lied when confronted by officers over inconsistencies in his story.
The coach’s son then admitted he was looking to purchase cocaine from a group of men but became “scared” and abandoned his car with the three men who were with him. The vehicle was later recovered following an accident report.
Did Taylor Jenkins play basketball?
Taylor Jenkins played at St. Mark’s, a private school in Dallas, where he was one of the basketball team captains. During his senior season team was loaded with stars, including two brothers who would play Division I football and two other guys who went on to play pro baseball.
Despite his future in the NBA, Taylor wasn’t one of the leading players. He was not a big star. He did the dirty work, setting screens, passing the ball, and playing defense.
They were among the favorites to win the conference title. Unfortunately, the team suffered a loss in double overtime in the championship game, with Taylor watching from the side after fouling out for the first time in his high school career.
How many coaches have the Memphis Grizzlies had?
There have been 12 head coaches for the Grizzlies franchise. The franchise’s first head coach was Brian Winters, who coached for two seasons. Lionel Hollins is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season games coached (415), and the franchise’s all-time leader in the regular-season game wins (214). Hubie Brown is the only Grizzlies head coach to have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award. Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2005.
Who is Taylor Jenkins’ wife?
Chantall Lissette Jenkins, who also goes by Chantall Jenkins. She has a bachelor of science in business administration and marketing from the University of the Incarnate Word. In addition to her two children with Taylor, she also has two kids from her previous marriage.
