A month after helping lead the Boston Celtics to their first Eastern Conference Championship in a dozen years, Williams College alumnus Will Hardy is heading west.
On Tuesday, the Utah Jazz named Hardy its new head coach.
At age 34, he becomes the youngest active head coach in the National Basketball Association.
"The Utah Jazz are one of the most respected and successful franchises in the NBA and the fan base here is legendary,” Hardy said in a news release. “This opportunity comes with tremendous responsibility. I’m grateful for the trust the Jazz have placed in me and I look forward to the work ahead.”
He spent last year as the top assistant for Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, helping the first-year head coach lead Boston to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
Hardy, who was graduated from Williams that same year, is a career assistant coach at the international and NBA level.
He spent most of his career with the San Antonio Spurs organization, starting there as an intern the year he left Williamstown.
He picked up head coaching experience by leading the Spurs' Las Vegas summer league teams in 2017 and 2018, and he spent four years as an assistant coach under legendary coach Gregg Popovich.
"I couldn’t be happier that Will has been given the opportunity to lead one of the finest programs in the league in the Utah Jazz,” Popovich said in a news release by the Jazz. “His intelligence, ability to teach, and most importantly his manner, brings immediate respect from players, management, and staff. He’s a competitive young man who understands the responsibilities of the position and no one will work harder to continue the success the Jazz have enjoyed for so long.”
A native of Virginia, Hardy helped the Williams men's basketball team to a 30-2 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division III final as a senior.
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Scholarships & Awards for the Mount Greylock Regional Class of 2024
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The following awards and scholarships were presented to the Mount Greylock Regional School class of 2024 during class night on June 6.
National Honor Society: Ava Anagnos, Lex Anagnos,Thomas Art, Phoebe Barnes, Liam Berryman, Mirabel Boyer, Jacqueline Brannan, Kaylie Bryan, Sylvie Clowes, Julia DeChaine, Belén Gálvez, Isabella Garivaltis, Ché Guerra, Emma Kate Hane, Talia Kapiloff, Erin Keating, Ryan Keating, Caleb Low, Cecilia Malone, Lily McDermott, Quinn McDermott, Lucy McWeeny, Anne Miller, Emily Mole, Catherine Moriarty, Dylan Nevarez, Margaret Nichols, Emily Ouellette, Andrew Petropulos, Owen Petropulos, Alexa Politis, Quinlan Repetto, Declan Rogers, Celina Savage, Parker Smith, Oliver Swabey, Macy Tidmarsh, Vincent Welch, Grace Winters
Paul O. LaPlante Memorial Scholarship: Owen Petropulos
United States History Award: Parker Smith
National Junior Classical League Latin Honor Society: Emma Kate Hane
Massachusetts Foreign Language Board of Directors Award: Latin: Cecilia Malone; Spanish: George Munemo; Leadership: Jose Brito and Emma Kate Hane
The Pittsfield baseball team Saturday rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and went on to a 12-5 win over Clinton in the quarter-finals of the Division 4 State Tournament. click for more
The class speaker for the 104 graduates of Mount Greylock Regional School apologized for the wild and crazy antics of the class of 2024. click for more
A Williamstown farm that has been on the market for several years was purchased this week, but the purchaser has declined to talk about its plans for the property.
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Two students will be the speakers for Mount Greylock Regional School's 2024 graduation ceremonies on Saturday, June 8, at 11 a.m. in the school gymnasium. click for more
Williams College said goodbye Sunday to its graduating seniors. And a representative of the class of 2024 took the time to say goodbye to everyone in the community who made students' journey possible. click for more