17 | Memphis Grizzlies’ Head Coach Taylor Jenkins on Earning the Trust of NBA Players, Learning from Popovich and Budenholzer, and Making People the Top Priority

Written By Evan Burk
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Taylor Jenkins is the head coach of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. Before becoming a head coach, Jenkins cut his teeth as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks.

In this conversation, Evan Burk speaks with Taylor about developing his coaching voice as a young NBA assistant coach, earning trust and respect in the locker room, and developing relationships that challenge growth within the Grizzlies' organization.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

  • Wearing suits as a youth basketball coach while attending Penn

  • High level coaching vision naturally grew with each experience

  • How Taylor found his coaching voice and coaching identity

  • "Living in the Grey" and learning to coach in the NBA

  • The intentional development of coaches within the Spurs organization

  • Coach Mike Budenholzer putting his own spin on the Spurs' culture

  • Earning trust and respect with players in Memphis

  • How are we going to: 1) Work together and 2) Play together

  • Ignoring rising expectations and embracing the progression year to year

  • Using organizational skills to prioritize and increase efficiency

Learn more about Taylor:

Learn more about Evan:

 
Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

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