The Phoenix Suns have five guidelines in their extensive coaching search, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Sunday, after the team narrowed down their list of candidates.
On top of the Suns’ guidelines is that they want the next coach to “build a program from scratch that’s going to consist of holding guys accountable, implementing the structure and making sure there’s discipline within the franchise.”
Their second requirement is that “the coach’s philosophy aligns with ownership and with the front office.”
The third factor they are considering is the defensive background of their next coach.
Haynes clarified that it’s not necessarily that their next coach has worked as a defensive coordinator in his previous stops.
“Even if you’re not somebody who specializes in defense, they want to know your defensive philosophy and also if you were to get the job, who would be your defensive guy,” Haynes explained.
Fourth in the Suns’ check box list is “youthful exuberance.”
“They are looking for somebody with youth and not necessarily age, although age is definitely a factor, but just a youthful exuberance,” Haynes said. “Somebody that can come in and just have a lot of energy and someone who can definitely relate to the players.”
Lastly, the Suns want a coach who can connect with their present and future stars.
Frank Vogel had a disconnect with Kevin Durant. Mike Budenholzer had a “contentious relationship” with Devin Booker.
Suns’ Coaching Candidates
According to Haynes, the eight candidates who made it to the second round of interviews are Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney, Suns assistant coach David Fizdale, New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and assistant Jordan Ott, Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Steve Hetzel, Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Dave Bliss.
Only two of the candidates have previous head coaching experience: Fizdale, 50, and Borrego, 47.
“This is a young batch of [coaching candidates],” Haynes said.
At the helm of this extensive coaching search is the Suns’ new general manager Brian Gregory, who has two decades of coaching experience in the NBA but is relatively new as a league executive.
Getty Phoenix Suns newly promoted general manager Brian Gregory has narrowed down the list of their coaching candidates.
Yet Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia, whom Gregory coached as a walk-on in Michigan, entrusted him with the future of the franchise after two disappointing seasons with their Big 3 experiment.
“Brian has been a valuable member of our front office, playing an integral role in drafting and developing our young players,” Ishbia said in a statement after he promoted Gregory to become his team’s lead decision-maker. “I am excited for him to step into the role of general manager. He is a brilliant basketball mind, and he will transform and elevate our team.”
Suns Shift From Big 3 to Defensive-Oriented Team
The Suns looking for youth in their coaching search is in line with the team’s new philosophy.
Haynes earlier reported that the Suns are moving on from their failed Big 3 experiment despite bankrolling the most expensive roster led by Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal.
“One thing that I was told is that the Suns want to transition,” Haynes said on “Haynes’ Briefs” Friday, April 18. “They want to move away from the model that they’ve been going after for the previous two years of accumulating star talent, star players and then trying to see if it can mesh on the court. They want to move away from that and they are going to move away from that.
“So, the purpose right now and the goal moving into next season is to accumulate defensive-minded tough players. They want to play a defensive-minded, grind-it-out type of game. They want to have a product on a court that fans can appreciate.”
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