SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Salt Lake City Stars, the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate, has hired former Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski as its new head coach.
Wojciechowski, who has been living in the Salt Lake City area since departing Marquette in 2021, has been eager to make the leap into pro coaching and now lands with a franchise replete with young players and three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA draft.
“I’m honored and excited to be named the head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars,” said Wojciechowski. “My family and I have lived in Park City for the last two years, so it is special that this opportunity comes in the place I have grown to love. I am looking forward to working with the Jazz and Stars staff to foster an environment of growth and development for the players in the program as we pursue a G League championship. I am eager to get started in preparation for the 2023-24 season.”
Wojciechowski had spent time around the Jazz organization over the past two years, especially in the 2021-22 season because of his longtime relationship with former Jazz coach Quin Snyder. Wojciechowski spent time this past season attending some Jazz practices and building a relationship with coach Will Hardy.
Wojciechowski joins Snyder as one of several college coaches who have made the transition to the NBA through the G League, where teaching and development is often paramount to organizations over results in the standings.
In seven seasons at Marquette, Wojciechowski had a 128-95 (.574) record with two trips to the NCAA tournament and one NIT appearance. After Marquette, he spent a summer as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s 2022 AmeriCup team.
“The goal in our coaching search was to find a teacher with a high basketball acumen who could connect well with our players, and we have found that with Steve,” said Marquis Newman, General Manager of the Salt Lake City Stars. “We are excited to welcome a dynamic coach like Wojo and benefit from his 22 years of experience developing NBA-level talent. We look forward to having him lead our team and continue to develop the Stars program as a tool for our young players in the Utah Jazz organization.”
Wojciechowski was an All-American and national defensive player of the year at Duke, where he spent 15 seasons as an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.
The Stars finished the 2022-23 season tied for fourth in the Western Conference with a 20-12 record, securing their first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 season. The team had two players, Frank Jackson and Tyler Cook, participate in the NBA G League Next Up Game during the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend. Both Jackson (Utah) and Jeenathan Williams (Portland) received NBA call-ups during the season.
