Coach Peavy spent the past three years as Stars assistant coach, and he previously played internationally in Germany and Puerto Rico.
SALT LAKE CITY (August 13, 2020) — The Salt Lake City Stars, the official NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, have finalized an agreement for Nathan Peavy to become the team’s new head coach, it was announced today. Peavy, a three-year assistant coach of the Stars, becomes the Stars’ third head coach since the team relocated to Salt Lake City in 2016.
Peavy, 35, began his coaching career in the 2017-18 season as an assistant under Martin Schiller, the 2019-20 NBA G League Coach of the Year. As a member of Schiller’s staff, Peavy helped guide the Stars to two playoff berths and an improved winning percentage each season. He aided in the development of current Jazz players Tony Bradley, Jarrell Brantley, Juwan Morgan, Georges Niang, Royce O’Neale, Miye Oni, Rayjon Tucker, Nigel Williams-Goss and Justin Wright-Foreman while they appeared in games with the NBA G League franchise. Three players have earned GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA during Peavy’s tenure with the team.
The Stars finished the 2019-20 season atop the Western Conference with a 30-12 (.714) record, amassing the most wins in a single season in Salt Lake City team history. The club also won the first-ever MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase Tournament last December in the midst of a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA G League last season and tied for second-longest in a single season in league history. Peavy served as acting head coach in the team’s 134-128 victory over the South Bay Lakers at Vivint Arena on March 2.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Peavy played internationally for eight seasons in both Germany and Puerto Rico, including a stint as a member of the Puerto Rican National Team.
“Nathan has grown tremendously over the past three years due to his work ethic and devotion to his craft. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his playing career and has a passion for teaching the game,” said Bart Taylor, director of scouting for the Utah Jazz and vice president of basketball operations for the Stars. “He has been a pivotal part of establishing a solid foundation for the organization and is absolutely the right person to be the next leader of the team as we move forward.”
“I’m honored to be named the new head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars,” said Peavy. “I’m looking forward to building on the momentum we’ve created to help the Stars compete at the highest level on the court while continuing to help develop players and staff members for the Jazz, and to have a positive impact in our community. I’m grateful for the opportunity and eager to get started on preparations for the 2020-21 season.”
Before joining the Stars, Peavy played for Cariduros de Fajardo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico during the 2016-17 season.
Peavy began his professional playing career in 2007 with Uni Baskets Paderborn in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the top professional league in Germany. He also played for the Artland Dragons (2009-12); Alba Berlin (2012-13); Atenienses de Manati (2015-16); and was a member of the Puerto Rican National Team (2010-12). A native of Dayton, Ohio, he played four seasons collegiately at Miami (OH) from 2003-07.