Grizzlies’ assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik has truly embraced the city of Memphis.
Bzdelik is in his second season as an assistant coach, and the more time he spends in Memphis, the more he enjoys all the Bluff City has to offer.
“You go to museums and you go to different restaurants,” Bzdelik said. “You begin to expand your knowledge of the areas around you. You build your acquaintances and you begin to meet more people and build relationships with people. You begin to uncover more and more neat things about Memphis.”
Although the city of Memphis is currently home for him, Bzdelik makes time to get away from city life and enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors, which has been a life-long love of his.
In fact, if he had to choose any other job, it would have something to do with the welfare and preservation of nature.
“I love fishing,” he said. “I love being active, anything outdoors. Just being out amongst the mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the streams; just nature. It’s beautiful.”
When he’s not trekking the outdoors, you can find Bzdelik spending time with his family. Often times these two joys intersect when family trips are planned.
Whether it’s a vacation in the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of the Carolinas, family trips always create great memories for Bzdelik. One of his most recent, best memories is the vacation he took last August with his wife, Nina, to celebrate their 40-year wedding anniversary.
Bzdelik met Nina while they both were attending the University of Chicago-Illinois. He recalls their first meeting with a smile.
“She was on the volleyball team, and I was on the basketball team,” he said. “One day, a volleyball rolled over to the basketball court and we looked at one another and it was love at first sight.”
Jeff and Nina have two children, a son, Brett and a daughter, Courtney. Brett lives in Colorado and spends his days as an environmental designer, who creates environmentally-sustainable landscape plans. Courtney lives in New Jersey where she teaches high school mathematics.
Spending time with family, coaching basketball and enjoying the outdoors is what makes Bzdelik happy, which coincides with his personal philosophy of ‘do what makes you happy.’
“It’s really important to have a passion for what you do,” Bzdelik said. “There’s a fit for everybody. Where you find your niche, your happiness, you’re always going to remain passionate for what you do.”