Jan 20, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy talks to guard Isaiah Collier (13) on a time out agains the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Jazz's Isaiah Collier Drops Bold Statement on Will Hardy

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Utah Jazz's 2024-25 season was nothing short of a year filled with growing pains and adjustments en route to their 65-loss campaign, and with it, the roster saw a good bit of rough patches from beginning to end.

Yet, while a challenging year, it's clear the Jazz had the right man leading the charge on the sidelines in Will Hardy. The third-year Utah head coach, through the trials and tribulations, made sure to use the season to develop his young talent, keep a steady locker room, and through it, kept his guys bought into the process.

Even after a bumpy season in the books, Hardy had some strong praise come his way from a few names on the Jazz roster, one of those being rookie Isaiah Collier, who shared his thoughts on Utah's coach during his end-of-season presser.

"I feel like us, being young, as a team, Will [Hardy] has helped us a lot throughout this whole season, the ups and downs," Collier said. "It's not the season we wanted, but I mean, he's been in all of our ears, trying to stay on us, and continue to just get through it. We know it's hard, but I think Will has done a great job with all of us, continues to just stay on us about habits and things like that. For us, I mean, it's a process, I think we all know that. Will's been great for us all year."

Other guys on the roster, like Keyonte George and Collin Sexton, have been others to commend Hardy's impact and control as their head coach, and Collier now falls in line with that trend as well.

Collier, one of this roster's biggest risers from the start of the season to the end, seemed to see some strong value in Hardy's voice, and with it, might be on his way to an All-Rookie finish after a great second half of the year. Through 71 games, the first-year Jazz guard averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 42.2% shooting from the field, starting in 46 of those showings.

For a team setting a franchise record for losses in a year, it can be easier said than done to keep a roster bought in, continuously developing, and keeping himself cemented as the coach of the future, like Hardy's done in Utah.

Yet, after three years in the mix, Hardy's fresh off signing an extension last summer to stay onboard until the 2026-27 season, and has shown no signs of losing confidence from his players, or the Jazz brass.

Even after a brutal year for the wins and losses like this one, it's safe to say the Jazz have a special mind leading on the sidelines, and look primed to keep him there for the foreseeable future.

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This article first appeared on Utah Jazz on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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