What is unique about how Will Hardy coaches?

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When you’ve been around the NBA as long as Danny Ainge has — 43 years and counting — you end up with a wealth of knowledge about coaches, coaching styles and traits that make an NBA coach successful.
Ainge was one of the Jazz’s front-office decision makers who gave the green light this week to pick up the fifth-year option on head coach Will Hardy’s contract as he heads into his third year coaching the Jazz. Overall, the Jazz brass said it was a no-brainer because of how well Hardy has fared through the first two years at the helm, but also because he seems to be the right person as the Jazz continue to push through a rebuilding process.
So I asked Ainge, with his wealth of knowledge, what stands out as unique about Hardy when compared to other coaches around the league?
“I think that what separates him, I mean, he knows the game very well, and he’s been a development coach forever, but is just his communication,” Ainge said. “He does a great job of communicating with the players, building relationships, one-on-one talks.”
It’s a notable trait that the players picked up on early in Hardy’s first days of being a head coach. He makes a concerted effort and is genuine in trying to get to know the people on his team rather than just the basketball player. He even noted that the biggest priority for him in the offseason was to deepen and continue to build the relationships he has with his players.
“I think building a foundation of like a personal relationship is really important for coaches and players,” Hardy said. “Because we get in these moments in the season where it’s emotional for all of us. There’s fatigue, and sometimes there’s conversations that are uncomfortable, there’s moments that can be heated. And if you have a foundation of a personal relationship underneath all of that, then there’s never a misunderstanding of is this personal or not.”
Beyond his communication skills, Ainge also pointed to Hardy’s desire to always be consuming information and trying to learn something new.
“He’s always trying to learn,” Ainge said of the Jazz head coach. “Will loves to learn. And he’s had some great mentors that he’s worked with in the past, and he’s watching what other teams are doing, but the communication is what separates him.”
“I was going to wear my elk shirt today.” — Danny Ainge when asked about his end-of-season quote about ‘big-game hunting.’