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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]

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 He has since been replaced by former Suns player Jeff Hornacek.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

[edit]
GC Games coached
W Wins
L Losses
Win% Winning percentage
# Number of coaches[a]
* Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Suns

Coaches

[edit]

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

# Name Term[b] GC W L Win% GC W L Win% Achievements Reference
Regular season Playoffs
1 Johnny Kerr 1968–1969 120 31 89 .258 — — — — [11]
2 Jerry Colangelo* 1970 44 24 20 .545 7 3 4 .429 [12]
3 Cotton Fitzsimmons 1970–1972 164 97 67 .591 — — — — [13]
4 Butch van Breda Kolff 1972 7 3 4 .429 — — — — [14]
— Jerry Colangelo* 1972–1973 75 35 40 .467 — — — — [12]
5 John MacLeod 1973–1987 1122 579 543 .516 81 37 44 .457 [4]
6 Dick Van Arsdale* 1987 26 14 12 .538 — — — — [15]
7 John Wetzel* 1987–1988 82 28 54 .341 — — — — [16]
— Cotton Fitzsimmons 1988–1992 328 217 111 .662 40 21 19 .525 NBA Coach of the Year (1988–89)[17] [13]
8 Paul Westphal 1992–1996 279 191 88 .685 44 25 19 .568 [5]
— Cotton Fitzsimmons 1996 57 27 30 .474 4 1 3 .250 [13]
9 Danny Ainge* 1996–1999 226 136 90 .602 12 3 9 .250 [18]
10 Scott Skiles 1999–2002 195 116 79 .595 13 5 8 .385 [19]
11 Frank Johnson* 2002–2003 134 63 71 .470 6 2 4 .333 [20]
12 Mike D'Antoni 2003–2008 389 253 136 .650 51 26 25 .510 NBA Coach of the Year (2004–05) [21]
13 Terry Porter 2008–2009 51 28 23 .549 — — — — [22]
14 Alvin Gentry 2009–2013 261 158 144 .523 16 10 6 .625 [23]
15 Lindsey Hunter* 2013 41 12 29 .293 — — — — [24]
16 Jeff Hornacek 2013–2016 213 101 112 .474 — — — — [25]
17 Earl Watson* 2016–2017 118 33 85 .280 — — — — [26]
18 Jay Triano 2017–2018 79 21 58 .266 — — — — [27]
19 Igor Kokoškov* 2018–2019 82 19 63 .232 — — — — [28]
20 Monty Williams 2019–2023 309 194 115 .628 46 27 19 .587 NBA Coach of the Year (2021–22) [29]
21 Frank Vogel 2023–2024 82 49 33 .598 4 0 4 .000 [10]
22 Mike Budenholzer 2024–present 0 0 0 – 0 0 0 – [30]
  • Jerry Colangelo coached the Suns in 1970 and in the 1972–1973 season.
    Jerry Colangelo coached the Suns in 1970 and in the 1972–1973 season.
  • Paul Westphal coached the Suns from 1992 to 1996, leading the team to their second NBA Finals appearance in 1993.
    Paul Westphal coached the Suns from 1992 to 1996, leading the team to their second NBA Finals appearance in 1993.
  • Mike D'Antoni coached the Suns from 2003 to 2008, with Western Conference Finals appearances in 2005 and 2006.
    Mike D'Antoni coached the Suns from 2003 to 2008, with Western Conference Finals appearances in 2005 and 2006.
  • Alvin Gentry coached the Suns from 2009 to 2013, with a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2010.
    Alvin Gentry coached the Suns from 2009 to 2013, with a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2010.
  • Jeff Hornacek coached the Suns from 2013–2016.
    Jeff Hornacek coached the Suns from 2013–2016.
  • Monty Williams coached the Phoenix Suns from 2018 to 2023, leading the team to their third NBA Finals appearance in 2021.
    Monty Williams coached the Phoenix Suns from 2018 to 2023, leading the team to their third NBA Finals appearance in 2021.

Notes

[edit]
  • a A running total of the number of coaches of the Suns. Thus, any coach who has two or more separate terms as head coach is only counted once.
  • b Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season.

References

[edit]
General
  • "Phoenix Suns Coach Register". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  • "All-time Suns Coaches and Records". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
Specific
  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "John MacLeod Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Jerry Colangelo Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c "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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