Like Father, Like Son: How Ryan Saunders carries on the Saunders name
Learn about current Denver Nuggets assistant coach and the son of the late longtime NBA Head Coach Flip Saunders.
Ryan Saunders is currently an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets, where he won a championship in 2023 under Michael Malone. He is also the son of the late veteran head coach Flip Saunders.
In this article, you’ll learn about Coach Saunders’s coaching career, philosophy, and his relationship with his father Flip Saunders and how much of an impact he’s had on his coaching and his life.
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Minnesota State (2008-2009)
Ryan Saunders graduated from Minnesota State where he also played basketball as a guard on the Golden Gophers men's basketball team. After graduating, he became a graduate assistant for head coach Tubby Smith for one season. The team reached the NCAA tournament where they lost to the Texas Longhorns in the first round. L 76–62
Washington Wizards (2009-2014)
Coach Saunders started his NBA coaching career in 2009 with the Washington Wizards in 2009 under his father and head coach Flip Saunders. The team finished with a record of 26–56, a small improvement from the previous season under Eddie Jordan, later Ed Tapscott, the team’s director of player development.
Ryan Saunders coached the Wizards Summer League team in 2012. Later in the season, the Wizards fired head coach Flip Saunders January of 2012, naming assistant Randy Wittman as the interim, who later became the full time head coach. The Wizards would continue their playoff drought until 2013 where they were eliminated in the eastern conference semi-finals against the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.
Saunders notably coached Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston, Nenê, Al Harrington, Trevor Ariza.
Assistant Coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-2019)
Flip Saunders returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the head coach, Ryan joined his staff along with Sam Mitchell, Sidney Lowe, and David Adelman.
During the 2014-2015 pre-season, Flip announced he was diagnosed with “Hodgkin's lymphoma”, a form of cancer of the lymphatic system, Coach Mitchell was named the interim head coach. Unfortunately, Flip Saunders passed away on October 25, 2015 at the age of 60 due to complications of the treatment of the cancer he was receiving.
As of April 20, 2016, Tom Thibodeau would become the head coach, Ryan Saunders later coached the team‘s summer league team that same year. Coach Thibodeau was fired on January 6, 2019 due to regression after the end of their playoff drought. The team named Ryan Saunders the interim head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Saunders also became the second Gopher alum to become a head coach in the NBA, the first coach being J.B. Bickerstaff.
Throughout his assistant coaching tenure, Ryan reunited with Kevin Garnett and notably coached Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, Nikola Peković, Nemanja Bjelica, Tyus Jones, Tayshaun Prince, Zach LaVine, Jimmy Butler, Jamal Crawford, Derrick Rose, Jeff Teague, Dario Šarić, Josh Okogie, Robert Covington, Taj Gibson, and Luol Deng.
Head Coach Tenure (2019-2021)
As the interim head coach, the Timberwolves finished 11th seed in the Western Conference with a record of 36–46.
“I know he'd say that there's no place else he'd rather have me get my start in coaching so I want to make sure I acknowledge my dad flip and just thank him for thanking for you know putting me in this” - During his introductory press conference as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Saunders became the youngest head coach in the league at the time at the age of 33. The 2019-2020 season was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. The team finished with a 19–45 record, the 11th worst record in franchise history, however they were rewarded with the #1 pick in the 2020 draft, which led to drafting Anthony Edwards.
Saunders was fired during his third season on February 21, 2021 by the Timberwolves after a starting with a 7-24 record and failure to make the playoffs in all 3 seasons of his tenure. He finished with an overall coaching record of 43-94.
During his head coaching tenure, he notably coached Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Naz Reid, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels, Jordan McLaughlin, and Anthony Edwards.
Growing up with Flip
Ryan Saunders was born on April 28, 1986 in Medina, Minnesota. At the time, his father Flip Saunders was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball, the college Ryan would later attend, play basketball, and graduate from. As Flip would travel around the coaching carrousel, the Saunders family would often find themselves living in Wisconsin and South Dakota during Ryan’s childhood.
Ryan’s first NBA coaching job would be in Washington under his father Flip as an assistant coach. A father and son coaching duo is always special to see, at the time there was 1 other father/son on the same team as coaches, Rick and R.J. Adelman of the Houston Rockets.
“Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness if you can't control it” - Flip Saunders (20:22)
Ryan shared a story about him and his father attending church when he was younger, while they were in the church, their car had been broken into. Flip had left his personal belongings inside the car and Ryan couldn’t understand how he could be so calm at the fact that they had broken into their car and stole their stuff.
“Just let it go, we're lucky enough that we can get new things for somebody to break into a car while, we were in church and know that we were in church in a church parking lot they are clearly down in their luck more than more than we can ever know so what we need to do is pray for them and hope that they they're able to get back on their feet” - Ryan on his Dad’s reaction to the situation (23:05)
During Flip’s first head coaching stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ryan would be around the team, notably Kevin Garnett who gave him the nickname “Rhino”. Ryan shares how Kevin Garnett used to rebound for him when he was 15, while he used to shoot around and practice. He also shared that for Ryan’s 16th birthday, KG wanted to give him his aqua green aquamarine Porsche, but Flip wouldn’t let him accept it, instead for his birthday Flip gifted Ryan a Nissan Xterra.
Whenever Kevin would tip Ryan, Flip would double it and put the money into a bank account. Because of this, KG would go around saying, "I funded Ryan Saunders' college education."
"My parents used that as a teachable moment, like not to just go spend the money. Put it in the bank, and it'll grow”
Denver Nuggets (2022-)
Saunders was hired as an assistant coach under Michael Malone in 2022, replacing defensive coordinator Jordi Fernandez who left for Mike Brown’s staff in Sacramento. In his first season, the Nuggets finished 1st place in the western conference with a record of 53–29 and the 15th best defense in the league.
After eliminating the Timberwolves 4-1, the Phoenix Suns 4-2, the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0, and the Miami Heat in the playoffs 4-1, the Denver Nuggets won their first championship in franchise history. The entire Nuggets coaching staff including Coach Saunders also won their first NBA championship.
Coach Saunders has notably coached Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Jeff Green, DeAndre Jordan, and Russell Westbrook so far in his Nuggets tenure.
Coaching Philosophy
Saunders has extensive player development experience from his ongoing coaching career in the NBA.
Building confidence in his players through positivity, energy, and positive reinforcement - Saunders’s philosophy
Coach Saunders has always preached confidence building and the importance of emotional intelligence. He always wants to keep the team together no matter the moment. Coach also empathizes the use of communication anywhere and everywhere on and off the court.
"Put people in their expertise, let them run what fits" - Ryan Saunders during a “Coaching U” Episode
During his time as the head coach of the Timberwolves, Coach Saunders managed his staff mixed with a football team’s staff including positions such as a offensive and defensive coordinator, quality control coach, player development coaches, and a video room coordinator.
When discussing ways a coach can further help their players, Coach Saunders’s answer was to find the way the player learns, figure out what’s the easiest way to teach a player based on their preference and comfortability.
Defensive Philosophy
His defensive Philosophy includes 60-80% of the base system and the remaining 20-40% involves adjusting the personnel levels of pick and roll coverage, depending if there’s a rim protecting big, force teams into a contested 2, put a guy on the ball who’s bigger wing that’s difficult to screen. Depending on your personnel and the opponent, switching everything is another factor to consider. (24:58)
Coach Saunders mentions the delay action, 5 out, open action, pin down DHO are some of the most talked about plays during a coaching gameplan. He also mentions how the game has obviously changed with its defensive adjustments, mentioning most teams in the current NBA have more knockdown shooters and a “roller”.
When asked about "bad defenders", a piece of advice Coach Saunders provided was to challenge the individual to do things "harder" and "smarter" and with more intension. (27:32)
Throughout the interview, Coach Saunders mentions several times that the right answer to most questions is if it’s the right one for your team and your personnel.
Offensive Philosophy
Saunders's father Flip ran a zone offense during his coaching career, Coach mentions to keep things simple as possible, also mentions depending how much of your team’s defense is focusing on the zone, the more effective your defense will be. Zone in the NBA isn’t as common and Coach Saunders noted that Denver only has to plan it for around 2-3 teams. (30:28)
Ryan Saunders is now in his 15th year of his coaching career in the NBA, most of it being involved with Minnesota. Coach Saunders started his basketball journey with his Father Flip, and to this day, Ryan always has a piece of him wherever he goes.
The great Flip Saunders will never be forgotten and Ryan is doing more than a great job to carry on the Saunders family name.