Flip Saunders Hiring
From interim head coach to NBA champion assistant, Ryan Saunders continues his basketball journey.
Ryan Philip Saunders (born April 28, 1986) is an American basketball coach who currently serves as the lead assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for his work in the NBA as a head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets, and in player development with the Washington Wizards staff. He is the son of longtime NBA coach Flip Saunders.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Head Coach; Executive
- Affiliation
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Era start
- 1995 Season (first coaching tenure)
- Status
- Deceased (2015)
- Key achievement
- Led team to Western Conference Finals in 2004
- Award
- NBA Coach of the Year runner-up (2003-04)
Lore & Background
Saunders was born in Medina, Minnesota, and graduated from Wayzata High School in 2004. He played college basketball as a walk-on guard at the University of Minnesota from 2004 to 2008, redshirting the 2006–07 season due to a wrist injury. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in sport management, he served as a graduate manager under Tubby Smith in 2008–09 while pursuing a master's in applied kinesiology. He began his NBA coaching career as an assistant for the Washington Wizards in 2009, then joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as an assistant in 2014. On January 6, 2019, he was promoted to interim head coach of the Timberwolves, becoming the youngest head coach in the NBA for the 2018–19 season. He earned his first win on January 8, 2019, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming the youngest head coach to win in his debut since 1978. On May 20, 2019, he signed a multi-year deal to become the permanent head coach. He was fired on February 21, 2021, after a 7–24 record. On June 12, 2022, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets, winning an NBA championship in 2023. He parted ways with the Nuggets on May 30, 2025. On July 14, 2025, he was hired as lead assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Reader's Guide
Saunders' head coaching record with the Minnesota Timberwolves: 42 games (17–25, 5th in Northwest, missed playoffs); 64 games (19–45, 5th in Northwest, missed playoffs); 31 games (7–24, fired). Career total: 137 games (43–94). He also taught Sports Leadership as an adjunct instructor at University of Northwestern-St. Paul in Spring 2022.
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