The Memphis Grizzlies have officially named Tuomas Iisalo as their head coach, removing his interim title and making him the first Finnish-born head coach in NBA history. The announcement follows Iisalo’s impressive interim stint, where he led the Grizzlies to the 2025 NBA Playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
Grizzlies President of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman expressed full confidence in Iisalo’s leadership, praising the coach’s ability to create disciplined, connected, and tenacious teams on both ends of the floor. “Tuomas’ teams at every level have consistently exceeded expectations. We look forward to the same in Memphis,” said Kleiman.
A Decorated Career in Europe
Before joining the NBA, Iisalo built a decorated coaching résumé in Europe. Most recently, he guided Paris Basketball to the 2023-24 EuroCup championship with a stunning 20-1 record, earning both EuroCup Coach of the Year and LNB Pro A Coach of the Year honors. Under his leadership, Paris Basketball was recognized for having the most explosive offense in EuroCup history.
He also led Paris to the French Leaders Cup title and a trip to the LNB Pro A Finals, extending a 25-game win streak across all competitions—the longest ever in French league history. His performance earned him a spot as head coach of Team World in the LNB All-Star Game.
Prior to his success in France, Iisalo captured back-to-back Bundesliga Coach of the Year awards while leading Telekom Baskets Bonn to the 2023 Basketball Champions League title. He also had a five-year stint with Crailsheim Merlins, where he helped rebuild the program into a Bundesliga contender.
From Finland to the NBA
Iisalo’s rise is one of the most unique in modern basketball. Born in Helsinki, he played 14 seasons professionally in Finland and represented the Finnish national team in 57 games. He began coaching in 2014 with Tapiolan Honka before making the leap to Germany and eventually to France.
In July 2024, the Grizzlies hired Iisalo as lead assistant, impressed by his European pedigree. After a late-season coaching change in March 2025, Iisalo took over as interim head coach and led Memphis to a playoff berth. Now, less than a year after his NBA arrival, he’s been officially handed the reins.
What’s Next for Memphis?
The Grizzlies are in a transitional phase but have a core of promising young players. With Iisalo’s proven record of player development and innovative offense, Memphis is betting big on a fresh, global vision. His style blends intense ball movement, tenacious perimeter defense, and high basketball IQ—hallmarks of modern European coaching success.
Memphis fans now have a new reason to be excited. With Iisalo’s leadership, the Grizzlies are looking to climb back to contender status—and they’ll be doing it with one of the most forward-thinking and globally-minded coaches in the game today.
