On Friday morning the New York Knicks formalized the hiring of Utah Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant as associate head coach, originally reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania on August 18 (Bryant remained with the Jazz until the end of their season) .
Bryant’s move to the Big Apple marks the end of a long stint in Beehive State for the Oakland, California native who played at the University of Utah from 2005-2008 and has been with Jazz since 2012. Friday posted a note on Twitter expressing gratitude to the state and to Jazz.
“To the city and state that hugged me when I first stepped on the University of Utah campus, thank you,” he wrote.
Bryant went on to specifically thank a number of jazz leaders, including the Miller family, Steve Starks, Dennis Lindsey and former coach Ty Corbin. Bryant wrote that current Utah manager Quin Snyder “encouraged me every day to be the best coach I can be.”
“To all the players, colleagues, those in the arena, friends, just everyone, I say thank you,” he wrote. “As I embark on a new journey, I am very grateful for this opportunity to coach for the Knicks and am excited for my next chapter as a manager in New York.”