List of Phoenix Suns head coaches

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The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [1] Founded in 1968, the Suns are chronologically the second-oldest team in the Western Conference. The Suns are also chronologically the third-oldest team in the NBA to have never won an NBA Championship while having played in the NBA Finals at least once. [2] [3] The Suns play their home games at the Footprint Center (formerly the Phoenix Suns Arena, American West Arena and the US Airways Center). [1]

Contents

The Phoenix Suns franchise has had 20  head coaches. John MacLeod is the franchise's all-time leader in coaching years and games won, winning the most regular-season and playoff games. [4] Cotton Fitzsimmons, Mike D'Antoni and Monty Williams are the only coaches to have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award with the Suns. The Suns never have been coached by a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. Paul Westphal has the highest all-time winning percentage with the Suns with a .685 percentage. [5] Alvin Gentry was named head coach after Terry Porter was dismissed by the Suns after 51 games in 2008. [6] Gentry left the Phoenix Suns under mutual agreement to part ways on January 18, 2013. [7] He was replaced by Lindsey Hunter halfway through the 2012–13 NBA season. He has since been replaced by former Suns player Jeff Hornacek. Hired in 2018, Serbian coach Igor Kokoškov became the first head coach born and raised outside of North America to be hired as a head coach in NBA history. [8] Former Pelicans coach Monty Williams was hired as head coach on May 3, 2019, and served until May 13, 2023. [9] On June 6, 2023, the Suns hired Frank Vogel as head coach. [10]

Key

GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
Win% Winning percentage
#Number of coaches [a]
*Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Suns

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2023–24 season.

#NameTerm [b] GCWLWin%GCWLWin%AchievementsReference
Regular seasonPlayoffs
Johnny Kerr 1968–1969 1203189.258———— [11]
Jerry Colangelo * 1970 442420.545734.429 [12]
Cotton Fitzsimmons 1970–1972 1649767.591———— [13]
Butch van Breda Kolff 1972 734.429———— [14]
Jerry Colangelo * 1972–1973 753540.467———— [12]
John MacLeod 1973–1987 1122579543.516813744.457 [4]
Dick Van Arsdale * 1987 261412.538———— [15]
John Wetzel * 1987–1988 822854.341———— [16]
Cotton Fitzsimmons 1988–1992 328217111.662402119.525 NBA Coach of the Year (1988–89) [17] [13]
Paul Westphal 1992–1996 27919188.685442519.568 [5]
Cotton Fitzsimmons 1996 572730.474413.250 [13]
Danny Ainge * 1996–1999 22613690.6021239.250 [18]
Scott Skiles 1999–2002 19511679.5951358.385 [19]
Frank Johnson * 2002–2003 1346371.470624.333 [20]
Mike D'Antoni 2003–2008 389253136.650512625.510NBA Coach of the Year (2004–05) [21]
Terry Porter 2008–2009 512823.549———— [22]
Alvin Gentry 2009–2013 261158144.52316106.625 [23]
Lindsey Hunter * 2013 411229.293———— [24]
Jeff Hornacek 2013–2016 213101112.474———— [25]
Earl Watson * 2016–2017 1183385.280———— [26]
Jay Triano 2017–2018 792158.266———— [27]
Igor Kokoškov * 2018–2019 821963.232———— [28]
Monty Williams 2019–2023 309194115.628462719.587NBA Coach of the Year (2021–22) [29]
Frank Vogel 2023–2024 824933.598404.000 [10]
Mike Budenholzer 2024–present000–000– [30]

Notes

Related Research Articles

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The 2008–09 Phoenix Suns season was the 41st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season was to be a promising one, filled with All-Star talent at several positions. It was believed over the offseason, the Suns would be able to better incorporate Shaquille O'Neal, who necessitated changes to both the offense and defense after being obtained in a trade one season ago. It was also the first season head coach Terry Porter had been able to use the summer to implement his defensive approach for a team which had in seasons past scored a large number of their points off fast breaks and early in the shot clock. Sensing a need for change, team management traded for scorer Jason Richardson in December, but this did not appear to immediately reinvigorate an offense that had recently led the league in points per game. However, after Phoenix went 28–23 to start the season, Suns assistant Alvin Gentry was named to replace Porter as head coach. Less than one week after the All-Star Game, Amar'e Stoudemire sustained a season-ending eye injury while the improvement of the team never fully came. The Suns finished 46–36, second in the Pacific division but out the playoffs for the first time since Steve Nash rejoined the Suns in the 2004–05 season. The Suns had the best team offensive rating in the NBA.

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 "Phoenix Suns History Index". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  2. ↑ "A Chronology of the Teams in the NBA". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  3. ↑ "NBA Finals: All-time Champions". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "John MacLeod Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "Paul Westphal Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Alvin Gentry Named Interim Head Coach by the Suns". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Suns, coach Alvin Gentry part ways". ESPN.com. ESPN. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Suns Agree to Terms with Igor Kokoškov To Become New Head Coach". NBA.com. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Phoenix Suns dismiss head coach Monty Williams". NBA.com. May 13, 2023. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Suns name Frank Vogel as head coach". NBA.com. June 6, 2023. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Red Kerr Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Jerry Colangelo Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 "Cotton Fitzsimmons Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Butch Van Breda Kolff Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Dick Van Arsdale Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 27, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  16. ↑ "John Wetzel Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Danny Ainge Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Scott Skiles Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Frank Johnson Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Mike D'Antoni Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Terry Porter Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Alvin Gentry Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  24. ↑ "Lindsey Hunter Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 24, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Jeff Hornacek Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Suns Name Earl Watson Interim Head Coach". NBA.com. February 1, 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Suns Relieve Earl Watson of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. October 22, 2017. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Suns Agree to Terms with Igor Kokoškov To Become New Head Coach". NBA.com. May 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Suns Agree to Terms with Monty Williams To Become New Head Coach". NBA.com. May 3, 2019. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Suns Name Two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Arizona Native Mike Budenholzer Head Coach". NBA.com. May 11, 2024. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.

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