He was head coach of the Denver Nuggets in the NBA for slightly over two seasons, from 2002 until he was fired near the end of 2004.

He also served as a college head coach at UMBC, Air Force, Colorado, and Wake Forest.

Bzdelik earned four varsity letters while playing basketball at the University of Illinois-Chicago, and was named team MVP in 1975–76.

[2] Bzdelik began his coaching career in 1978 as an assistant at Davidson College in North Carolina.

[3] He moved to Northwestern University in 1980, where he spent six seasons as an assistant, helping the Wildcats to their first NIT appearance in school history.

They bounced back in his second season to finish with 43 wins, reaching the postseason for the first time since 1995, before losing in the first round to eventual Western Conference finalist Minnesota.

[6] The team had high expectations in his third year after signing Kenyon Martin as a free agent.

On May 18, 2005, Bzedlik signed a multiyear contract to become the head coach at the US Air Force Academy.

Bzdelik left Air Force on April 4, 2007, to become the head basketball coach for the Colorado Buffaloes for three seasons.

[12] The Grizzlies completed the regular season 55–27, tied for the fifth-best record in the entire NBA.

During his 19 years in the NBA, Bzdelik served as a head or assistant coach for 12 teams that advanced to the playoffs.

"It stood out to us that he had so much head coaching experience," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.

"[19] One of the least-discussed plots was the fact that head coach Mike D'Antoni willingly accepted a "defensive coordinator" with the addition of Jeff Bzdelik.

D'Antoni brought the glitz, the glamor and the stats to Houston, while Bzdelik has helped keep the team from having a one-track mind.

[20] Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle wrote, "It adds up to (Bzdelik's) place on D'Antoni's right, with respect and freedom to more than run the defense, but to change the mindset of the team happy to fire away but that has come to understand it must do more."

[21] According to the Houston Chronicle, "the Rockets improved in the ways they needed to most, in defending the arc and in transition.

[22] The Rockets lost the Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors in seven games.

Hall of Fame coach and executive Pat Riley, who worked with Bzdelik in both New York and Miami, said, "I can't think of a man in the NBA that has more experience, more knowledge, more wisdom about how to defend in the contemporary game today, than Jeff.