The Memphis Grizzlies have officially appointed Tuomas Iisalo as their new head coach, making him the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Iisalo, who served as interim head coach since late March 2025 following Taylor Jenkins’ dismissal, has now secured the full-time role after guiding the Grizzlies to the NBA playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
The 42-year-old brings an impressive European coaching pedigree to Memphis. Before joining the Grizzlies as lead assistant coach in July 2024, Iisalo led Paris Basketball to the 2023-24 EuroCup championship, earning EuroCup Coach of the Year honors and securing promotion to the EuroLeague with a record-breaking offense that posted a historic 126.8 offensive rating. His up-tempo, high-octane style, emphasizing pace, three-point shooting, and offensive rebounding, aligns well with the Grizzlies’ “Grit and Grind” identity. In 2023, he also guided Telekom Baskets Bonn to a FIBA Champions League title and a German League runner-up finish, earning German League Coach of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023, as well as the FIBA Champions League Coach of the Year for 2022-23.
This season, the Grizzlies have leaned heavily on their three-point shooting, ranking 11th in the NBA with 13.7 made threes per game at a 36.6% clip. Desmond Bane leads the team in three-point makes, a key component of their offense, which ranks second in points per game (122.1) and sixth in offensive rating (118.0). Iisalo’s system, known for its pace (Memphis leads the league at 103.4) and read-and-react principles, should further amplify this strength.
Despite a challenging interim stint with only 15 games and two practices, Iisalo led Memphis to a 4-5 record down the stretch and a play-in tournament berth, though they were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. His disciplined, tenacious approach has earned praise from players like Desmond Bane, who called him “a really smart guy” focused solely on winning. General Manager Zach Kleiman expressed confidence in Iisalo, stating, “Tuomas’ teams at every level have been disciplined, tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor, consistently exceeding expectations.”
As Iisalo takes the helm, he faces the task of stabilizing a team that finished 48-34 but struggled late, losing eight of their last 11 games. With stars like Ja Morant and a potent offense, Iisalo’s pick-and-roll expertise and high-IQ schemes could elevate Memphis in the competitive Western Conference.
