A former player, and the youngest coach to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to the victory, Ryan Saunders got fired on February 22, 2021, from the position of Head coach.
Saunders is known for his work in player development with the staff of the Washington Wizards. At the young age of 33, Saunders is the youngest coach to do so in the past 40 years. Secondly, for the worst record in NBA History when his team lost 8 games out of 9 games.
Ryan Saunders Biography: Mother, Father, Siblings
Ryan Saunders was born on the 28th of April in 1986 in Medina Minnesota, to a legendary father and coach Philip or Flip Saunders, and mother Debbie Saunders.
Saunders’ dad was a former Timberwolves coach. He was born on 23rd February 1955 in Cleveland Ohio and died on 25th October 2015 at the age of 60 due to cancer. He officiated CBA and NBA and had an ephemeral playing career in High School then in university.
Ryan grew up with his three sisters, Mindy Saunders who attended the University of Minnesota and was a member of a dance team. His twin sisters Kim and Rachel Saunders also attended the same university and won 8 national championships and a World Championship for a dance team of the University of Minnesota.
Ryan after graduating from Wayzata High School in Plymouth Minnesota in 2004 also attended the University of Minnesota and played basketball from 2004-2008 as a point guard. Saunders graduated in 2008 in Sports Management.
Ryan Saunders Career Biography Contract, Record
Ryan Saunders played basketball at the University of Minnesota from 2004-2008 as a point guard. He only played 20 games in his first two seasons in a substitute role. He did not participate in the 2006-2007 season due to a wrist injury and did not play any games during the 2007-2008 season.
In 2009, he became assistant coach of the Washington Wizards. In 2014, he became assistant coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. On January 6, 2019, Saunders was promoted to interim coach of the Timberwolves after the dismissal of Tom Thibodeau, also becoming the youngest NBA coach for the 2018-19 season 2.
On January 8, 2019, Saunders scored his first victory on his coaching debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He became the youngest coach to win on his debut since 1978. On May 20, 2019, the Timberwolves announced that Saunders had signed a multi-year deal to become the team’s permanent coach, removing his interim status. At 33, Saunders became the youngest coach in the league, despite over 10 years of NBA experience, as an assistant.
Ryan Saunders Fired
The Minnesota Timberwolves fired coach Ryan Saunders, hours after the team lost to the Knicks, resulting in their eighth loss in the last nine games and the worst record in the NBA this season. The Timberwolves were finalizing plans to introduce Toronto assistant Chris Finch as the new coach on Monday, but Finch’s hiring has not been formally completed.
View this post on Instagram
Saunders was with the Timberwolves for three seasons, going 43-94. Minnesota has the worst record in the league this season at 7-24 and is already 7 1/2 games behind what would be the last place for the Western Conference postseason.
Ryan Saunders Salary, Net Worth 2021
Ryan has worked as an assistant coach for more than 10 years earning an average salary of $100,000. He was then appointed as the Head coach for the team fulfilling the dream of his father. Saunders dedicated his first win with the team Timberwolves to his father.
After being appointed as the head coach of the Timberwolves, reportedly Ryan earned a salary of more than $2 million dollars. Combining all of his income and earnings to date, Ryan Saunders boasts a net worth of around $5 Million.
Also, Ryan has more to contribute to his profession and hence, his net worth in the coming years is more likely to increase.
Ryan Saunders Wife, Married, Children
Ryan Saunders is a married man. And currently, Saunders is married to his beautiful wife Hayley Dulin Saunders. The couple exchanged their marital vows in 2017.
And from their conjugal life, Saunders and his wife are blessed with a beautiful baby boy named Lucas Philip Saunders born in 2019. Ryan still remembers his wedding day as something remarkable happened that day. He saw Zach Lavine aka Zachary Lavine, a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls standing outside the church as Zach had promised Ryan he would attend his wedding.
The couple is very much in love and Ryan’s spouse is very supportive of her husband in his personal life as well as his career. She also takes great interest in social work and the couple amid the pandemic contributed to Twin Cities Community and signed the partnership contract with the Matter and Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities.
Ryan Saunders Height
Ryan himself has been the former basketball player playing as Point Guard from the University of Minnesota. Even after giving up playing, he has continued his career in basketball as an assistant and head coach. His physical stature is nothing different from a tall muscular and athletic NBA player, as Ryan Saunders himself measures 6ft 1 inch in height and weighs 81 kg.
Ryan Saunders Twitter, Instagram
Ryan Saunders apparently doesn’t like to use any social media platforms. However, at the death of George Floyd, he took to Instagram to say how much his heart is shattered upon hearing the death of the man and seeing the police brutality.
Saunders is also active on Twitter, where he has 485 followers to date.
Quick Bio Facts and Information on Ryan Saunders
| Full Name / Real Name | Ryan Saunders |
| Birthday / Date of Birth | 28th April 1986 |
| Age | 33 |
| Birth Sign | Taurus |
| Born Country | U.S |
| Hometown | Minnesota |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Parents | Father: Philip or Flip Saunders, and Mother: Debbie Saunders. |
| Profession | NBA Coach |
| Education (High School / College / University) | Wayzata High School, University of Minnesota |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Hayley Dulin Saunders |
| Married | 2017 |
| Children (Son, Daughter) | One Son |
| Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) | Twitter, Instagram |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Height in Feet | 6 ft 1 in |
| Height in Meter | 1.85 meters |
