The Memphis Grizzlies and J.B. Bickerstaff have agreed on a three-year deal to appoint him as head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bickerstaff served as Grizzlies interim head coach since David Fizdale was fired earlier in the season.
JB Bickerstaff has agreed to a three-year contract to become the Memphis Grizzlies' head coach, league sources tell ESPN. Bickerstaff was Memphis’ interim coach for most of the 2017-18 season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 27, 2018
Bickerstaff has earned support from several Grizzlies veterans, including Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, according to Yahoo Sports. He originally joined the Grizzlies as associate head coach in 2016 following a brief stint with Houston.
The Grizzlies finished with a dismal 22-60 record on the season, with the team holding the second-highest odds of acquiring the No. 1 pick in the draft this June.
For Bickerstaff, much of the Grizzlies active roster is set to return for the 2018-19 season. However, forwards Tyreke Evans and Omari Johnson, as well as guards Mario Chalmers and Kobi Simmons, are set to hit free agency this July.
The Grizzlies have shuffled through four different head coaches since 2013, including stints with Lionel Hollins, Dave Joerger, David Fizdale, and now J.B. Bickerstaff.
Bickerstaff was previously an assistant with the Bobcats (2004-07), Timberwolves (2007-11) and Rockets (2011-15) before landing a guaranteed head coaching job with the Grizzlies.
