Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo can breathe a little easier these days.

After being named interim coach in March when Taylor Jenkins was fired, Iisalo was leading Memphis through a stressful playoff push with little practice time. Now he has taken this offseason to reconstruct things to his liking.

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Changes were made on the coaching staff, allowing Iisalo to build his own group. Jason March and Erik Schmidt were retained from Jenkins’ staff, but three new hires were made.

This is the first season since 2019 where the Grizzlies will be entering with a new head coach. While the team tweaked its offense multiple times under Jenkins, the defensive principles mostly remained the same. With Iisalo and a new group of coaches taking over, the Grizzlies will have more schematic turnover than at any point in that span.

Those changes are timely and needed. Memphis finished last season with the sixth-ranked offense, but the regular-season success often didn’t translate against elite defenses. That was clear in a four-game series sweep in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Defensively, Memphis went from being one of the league’s best in the first half of the season to suffering a significant drop-off that played a major role in the team’s second-half tumble in the standings.

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Here’s what to expect from Iisalo’s new-look coaching staff.

Ryan Saunders

New lead assistant coach Ryan Saunders will be Iisalo’s right-hand man. He spent three seasons on the Denver Nuggets’ staff while new Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was there, where both helped the Nuggets win the NBA championship in 2023.

Saunders, 39, also has head coaching experience, dating to three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2018-21).

“I was really impressed with his basketball knowledge throughout our interview process, and also on a human level, we connected very well, and I’m very happy to work with him,” Iisalo said.

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Jason March

March is back in a similar role as he had last season under Jenkins, with influence on the offense and player development. Iisalo wants to take advantage of the experience March has gained throughout his tenure in the NBA.

March previously was the head coach of the G League Memphis Hustle before being promoted to the Grizzlies last season. Several current Grizzlies players have benefited from getting minutes with the Hustle when they couldn’t find roles in the NBA.

Darnell Lazare

The development of the frontcourt will be a major emphasis under Iisalo. The Grizzlies brought in Jock Landale in part to unlock the best version of Ja Morant after an inconsistent 2024-25 season.

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When Morant was at his best, he had strong screen setters and bigs capable of finishing around the rim. Memphis believes it has those things now, and new assistant coach Darnell Lazare will be tasked with maximizing the frontcourt.

Lazare, 40, worked closely with bigs at his previous stop with the New Orleans Pelicans. He’ll do that and help Saunders out with the defense.

Erik Schmidt

Schmidt returns to the Grizzlies as the head of player development. This is his second season as a Grizzlies assistant coach. He previously was the organization’s head video coordinator.

Iisalo usually has a stoic look on his face, but talking about Schmidt’s role led to him breaking character.

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“He has a very sunny disposition,” Iisalo said. “He brings a lot of energy, but he’s also very organized and very smart.”

Brian ‘Penny’ Collins

Brian “Penny” Collins, 41, is a combination of what Iisalo is getting from his two other new assistants. Like Saunders, Collins has head coaching experience. He was the lead man at Tennessee State University before joining the Grizzlies.

Lazare brings experience as a player at LSU and overseas, and Iisalo also mentioned that component when speaking about Collins, a Nashville native who played at Belmont and spent a year playing in Europe.

“That’s overall what we were looking for,” Iisalo said. “A very aligned staff that has different perspectives on things.”

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Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies Tuomas Iisalo insight on new assistant coaches, roles