| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1984-09-12)September 12, 1984 (age 40) Arlington, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Mark's School (Dallas, Texas) |
| Coaching career | 2008–present |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
| 2008–2012 | Austin Toros (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Austin Toros |
| 2013–2018 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 2018–2019 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2019–2025 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As assistant coach:
| |
Taylor Vetter Jenkins[1] (born September 12, 1984) is an American professionalbasketball coach who was most recently the head coach for theMemphis Grizzlies of theNational Basketball Association (NBA).
Jenkins attended theSt. Mark's School of Texas inDallas. He was a two-timecaptain on their basketball team, where he played as an undersized 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m)forward.[2] He studied at theUniversity of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor's of Science in economics while concentrating in management and minoring in psychology.[2][3] He did not playcollege basketball.[2]
Jenkins interned with theSan Antonio Spurs basketball operations department during the 2007–08 season.[4]
Jenkins worked as an assistant coach for the Spurs'NBA Development League affiliate, theAustin Toros, from 2008 to 2012. The Toros won the NBA D-League championship in 2012.[4] Jenkins was appointed as head coach for the 2012–13 season and led the Toros to a 27–23 (.540) record and a first-round playoff victory over theBakersfield Jam before falling to theSanta Cruz Warriors in the semifinals.
On July 11, 2013, Jenkins was hired as an assistant coach for theAtlanta Hawks under head coachMike Budenholzer.[5] The Hawks reached the playoffs four consecutive years including a trip to theNBA Eastern Conference finals in 2015. Jenkins helped develop four of the Hawks 2015 starting five intoNBA All-Stars (four starters appeared on the 2015 NBA All-Star roster).[6] Jenkins later followed Budenholzer to be an assistant for theMilwaukee Bucks during the2018–19 NBA season.[7][8] The Bucks finished with a league best 60 wins, and clinched the #1 spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time in 45 years.[9]
His name was brought into the spotlight when an ESPN clip showed Jenkins springing up from the bench to hold the players back during a small on-court scuffle. The video led to a profile of him inThe Athletic.[10]
Jenkins also served as an assistant coach for the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Team and NBA World Team (Rising Stars) in 2015.[6] Also, in August 2016, Jenkins participated in the Americas Team Camp presented by Nike in Mexico City. The camp consisted of four days of basketball drills and competition conducted by NBA players and coaches.[11]
On June 11, 2019, theMemphis Grizzlies hired Jenkins as their new head coach.[12] The MemphisCommercial Appeal called the hire a "defining moment for ownerRobert Pera," as well as the front office.[13]
Jenkins was named the Western Conference's Coach of the Month in both January 2020 and December 2021.[14][15] In 2022, the Grizzlies won their division for the first time in franchise history.
On June 13, 2022, the Grizzlies signed Jenkins to a multi-year contract extension.[16]
On March 28, 2025, the Grizzlies fired Jenkins after six seasons with the team, with only nine games remaining in the2024–25 regular season and the Grizzlies having all but secured entry into the2025 NBA playoffs by this time with a 44–29 record at the time.[17]
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 2019–20 | 73 | 34 | 39 | .466 | 3rd inSouthwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Memphis | 2020–21 | 72 | 38 | 34 | .528 | 2nd in Southwest | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost infirst round |
| Memphis | 2021–22 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Southwest | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost inconference semifinals |
| Memphis | 2022–23 | 82 | 51 | 31 | .622 | 1st in Southwest | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost infirst round |
| Memphis | 2023–24 | 82 | 27 | 55 | .329 | 4th in Southwest | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Memphis | 2024–25 | 73 | 44 | 29 | .603 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 464 | 250 | 214 | .539 | 23 | 9 | 14 | .391 | |||