Born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, Ayers is a member of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. Feb 16, PHO (17-10) lost to BRK, 124-128, 28. His brother, Andy, is also an experienced NBA assistant coach. It's hard to place an exact figure since the NBA doesn't disclose coaching salaries. 104,027 (4th of 30), NBA 2021 Playoffs: All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Jeff Hornacek coached the Phoenix Suns the 20132016. He served as a player development coach and director of analysis and opposition scouting, including when Williams was the teams associate head coach in 2015-16. Originally the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft by Portland, Bryant played four seasons at Seton Hall University and left the program ranked fifth in school history in total points and total rebounds. The announcement was made this morning by Williams on the Suns podcast, The Outlet, which can be viewed here. The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. When Suns head coach Monty Williams served as an assistant in Oklahoma City during the 2015-16 season, he saw firsthand the discipline and dedication with which Durant approached basketball . May 4 @ CLE, PHO (47-18) beat CLE, 134-118, 66. Green also has previous experience in New Orleans, as he played one season with the team in 2010-11, when it was the Hornets. Founded in 1976, the NBCA consists of all NBA Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and alumni, and works closely with the NBA on all matters that pertain to the coaching profession. The Suns rapid rise will lead to some franchises trying to poach important pieces away wherever they can. Most recently, Jack averaged 8.9 points in 15 appearances for the NBA G League Ignite during the 2021 NBA G League season held at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida this past February. All thats missing with the Pelicans is stability and internal growth from a young roster. In the end, New Orleans didn't even make the Western Conference play-in tournament. He was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in both seasons and was the consensus national coach of the year for 1990-91. All rights reserved. Attendance: It was only Kevin Durant's first game with the Suns but the tantalizing upside of him in the Valley came oozing out of Wednesday's win. A member of the coaching staff on nine teams to qualify for the playoffs, Ayers was an assistant coach on Philadelphias Eastern Conference Championship team in 2001. Frazier, 26, comes to Phoenix after serving as a video/player development assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks this past season, helping the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Greer joins the Suns following two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. KTAR. NBCA Director of Communications Strong, 32, joins the Suns after spending the 2018-19 season in player development for the Philadelphia 76ers where he worked alongside Williams to help the Sixers reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals. According to an article from The Washington Post published on New Year's Day 2019, NBA assistant coach salaries range from $100,000 to over $1 million depending on coaching experience. Riccardo Fois, now an assistant at Arizona, and Ben Strong are no longer on the Suns staff as both were in player development in Phoenix. Coach Ruffin and his wife, Mistye, have four children (Milaya, Javon, Kalea, & Deionte). Jan 1 @ DEN, PHO (5-1) beat DEN, 106-103, 9. Snyder replaces Nate McMillan, who was dismissed by the franchise on Tuesday. Gates joins the Suns following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fois, 32, comes to the Suns after spending the past five seasons working for Gonzaga Universitys mens basketball program, elevating to the title of director of analytics. Apr 12, PHO (38-15) beat HOU, 126-120, 55. Gross spent the last two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant for video and player development while Vinson will be entering his second year with the Suns, previously assisting with player development and video. With success comes more attention, which is exactly whats happening for the Phoenix Suns during their deep playoff run. In 11 total NBA seasons, he has worked for seven teams that have qualified for the postseason. He helped Boston University to two NCAA tournament berths, including a school-record 25 wins in 1996-97, and helped Boston College reach the Elite Eight in 1994. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images), (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images). Ruffin played nine seasons in the NBA with the final one being in Portland in 2008-09 when Williams was an assistant with the Trail Blazers under Nate McMillan. Apr 15, PHO (40-15) beat SAC, 122-114, 56. You may opt-out by. What Kevin Durant is Bringing to the Phoenix Suns | NBA.com He then spentsix years (2014-20) in New Orleans as he joined the franchise working in player development for Williams. Whether Green finds that promotion in 2021 or later on, theres no doubt Green wont be in the assistant chair long under Williams. In addition to playing under Williams as an assistant coach with Portland for the 2007-08 season, Blake was a teammate of Suns General Manager James Jones. On May 3, 2019, Williams became the 20th Head Coach* in Suns history. On August 7, 2021, Young was promoted to the role of associate head coach for the Suns. Blake played four seasons at the University of Maryland and guided the Terrapins to their only NCAA Championship as a junior in 2002 after the school made its first Final Four during his sophomore season in 2001. Sources: Wizards interviewed Suns assistant coach Kevin Young - HoopsHype Michael Ruffin | The Official Website of The NBA Coaches Association National Basketball Coaches Association release: Phoenix Suns Head Coach Monty Williams is the 2021 recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today. [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. Prior to joining the Thunders coaching staff, Bryant served as assistant coach/player development with the Orlando Magic from 2005-2007 and his first coaching job was as a member of the Dallas Mavericks player development staff in 2004-05. The Phoenix Suns franchise has had 20 head coaches. He led the ODAC by averaging 25.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a senior and, as a junior, set the single-game NCAA Division III tournament record with 59 points in a triple-overtime victory. He first joined OKC as an assistant coach for their G League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers. The Dallas Mavericks have had the Phoenix Suns' number since the tail-end of their playoff series. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. [5] Alvin Gentry was named head coach after Terry Porter was dismissed by the Suns after 51 games in 2008. Mar 11 @ POR, PHO (25-11) beat POR, 127-121, 37. A graduate of Boston College, he was a student assistant for the mens basketball team during the winningest period in the Eagles school history from 2002-2006. SUNS Motivator: Phoenix Suns hiring Bryan Gates as an assistant coach after Willie Green departure Born in Anchorage, Alaska and the father of triplets, Gates has a special bond with Suns. Pelicans hire Suns assistant Willie Green as new head coach He has been a NBA assistant coach since 2009 and served on Williams staff for each of their five seasons together in New Orleans from 2010-2015. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. He is of Native American descent as his father is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. May 11 @ GSW, PHO (48-21) lost to GSW, 116-122, 70. Player development/video coordinator: Jamal Gross. He has since been replaced by former Suns player Jeff Hornacek. Scalzi first joined the organization as an assistant coach with the Tulsa 66ers, then the Thunders NBA G League affiliate, in 2013-14. In 2021, Michael Ruffin became an Assistant Coach for the Phoenix Suns. Feb 24, PHO (20-11) lost to CHO, 121-124, 32. SUNS Part 2: Jarrett Jack reunites with Chris Paul, Monty Williams and Suns GM James Jones in coaching role In Part 2 of The Republic's 1-on-1 Q&A, Jarrett Jack talks about his role as an. The Phoenix Suns on Friday announced the addition of assistant coach Michael Ruffin, plus Jamal Gross and Corey Vinson to the title of player development coach/video coordinator. A graduate of Boise State University, Gates also has experience as an assistant coach in the G League and as head coach of the Oklahoma Storm in the United States Basketball League, Hickory Nutz in the Carolinas Basketball League and Beirut Blues Stars in the Lebanese Basketball League. Suns' Monty Williams wins Coach of the Year from fellow coaches Learn more and register, Height of bar is margin of victory Mouseover bar for details Click for box score Grouped by Month, 2. Rajakovic served as the Thunders head coach at NBA Summer League in 2014 and 2015. As previously reported on the HoopsHype podcast, the Wizards also interviewed several other assistant coaches, including Miami's Chris Quinn and former Hornets assistant coach Ronald. The Pelicans will announce the hiring of Green after the 2021 NBA Finals. Young cores who are in need of guidance with a true culture-building mentality. "I just don . Er erhielt in Phoenix einen Vertrag bis 2016 und soll die Suns wieder in den Bereich der Playoffs fhren. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, Sources: Suns' Green front-runner for Pelicans job, S. Van Gundy: Zion was not behind Pelicans exit. Gambling problem? 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. Something went wrong. The immediate future seems bright in New Orleans with two young All-Stars in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Mar 26 @ TOR, PHO (30-14) beat TOR, 104-100, 45. The Suns have promoted Kevin Young to associate head coach. Support local journalism. (Series Stats)Lost NBA Finals (2-4) versus Milwaukee Bucks The Gates announcement came earlier in the summer following the departure of Willie Green to the New Orleans Pelicans. Please enter a valid email and try again. Hall of Famers James Worthy, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and Rick. "Alvin Gentry Named Interim Head Coach by the Suns", "Suns Agree to Terms with Igor Kokokov To Become New Head Coach", "Suns Name Earl Watson Interim Head Coach", "Suns Relieve Earl Watson of Head Coaching Duties", "Suns Agree to Terms with Monty Williams To Become New Head Coach", National Basketball Association head coaches, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Phoenix_Suns_head_coaches&oldid=1092301247, Lists of National Basketball Association head coaches by team, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Spent entire NBA head coaching career with the Suns, This page was last edited on 9 June 2022, at 12:48. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. Dec 27 @ SAC, PHO (2-1) beat SAC, 116-100, 5. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Suns head coach Monty Williams has six assistant coaches working under him. NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - According to ESPN, Phoenix Suns assistant coach Willie Green is the frontrunner on a shortlist to become the next head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.. Green has 12 years . The Phoenix Suns, as they attempt to defend their Western Conference Championship, will have a slew of new faces assisting head coach Monty Williams for the 2021-22 season. LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 03: New Orleans Pelicans assistant Michael Ruffin before the New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball game on January 03, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 20: Head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns signals to his team during the first half in Game Six of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on July 20, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The way Green has been able to relate to players, while also keeping them in line with great fundamental tutelage, is a solid base to become a future NBA head coach. The move was first . Mar 23 @ MIA, PHO (29-13) beat MIA, 110-100, 43. Ruffin, 44, was . [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]. 'We're moving in the right direction': Black coaching - Andscape Last month, Phoenix announced the additions of Bryan Gates,Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi, all of which have ties to Williams. The 6-4 shooting guard played his first seven seasons in Philadelphia, including in 2007-08 when he averaged a career-high 12.4 points for the 76ers. Jan 9 @ IND, PHO (7-3) beat IND, 125-117, 11. Blake played in all 138 games during his college career and remains Marylands all-time leader in games started (136) and assists (972) with 200 more assists than second place. 2021-Present Phoenix Suns (Assistant Coach Monty Williams), 2020-2021 Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Assistant Coach Tom Hankins), 2014-2020 New Orleans Pelicans (Assistant Coach Alvin Gentry & Monty Williams), Karen Marrero May 15 @ SAS, PHO (50-21) beat SAS, 140-103, 72. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Rajakovic began his coaching career at 16 years old with the youth teams of Borac Cacak in his hometown of Cacak, Serbia. The 2022-23 Phoenix Suns season is their 55th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as their 30th season at the Footprint Center. Prior to becoming a coach in the NBA, Ayers coached collegiately, including eight seasons as head coach at The Ohio State University from 1989-1997. Suns assistant Willie Green is ready to be a head coach, but Boston is a bad fit . During educational tours of college basketball programs in the U.S., Rajakovic spent time attending practices and meeting with Lute Olson at the University of Arizona in 2003 and Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University in 2007. A daily roundup of Phoenix Suns news from Bright Side of the Sun, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Suns add three coaches, promote Kevin Young to associate head coach, Recap: Phoenix Suns pull away from Chicago Bulls, 125-104 road win, Following an Okogie tone set, the Durant-Booker scoring tandem proves to be entirely too much of the Bulls, Suns vs. Mavericks on Sunday promises playoff-level atmosphere, No matter what the players say before tipoff, Open Thread: Suns at Bulls, Durant Part 2, Sign up for the Does that change with two new stars? Hired in 2018, Serbian coach Igor Kokokov became the first head coach born and raised outside of North America to be hired as a head coach in NBA history. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Joerger, Cassell join Sixers' coaching staff, Former NBA guard Mo Williams named Alabama State coach, Jazz add Dell Demps, Keyon Dooling to coaching staff, 5 stats to know for 76ers-Bucks matchup on ABC, Brooks suspended after receiving 16th technical foul, Grizzlies' Clarke (torn achilles) out indefinitely, Ja issues apology, will miss 'at least' 2 games, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Bryant, a former Suns player, returns to Phoenix after most recently spending 12 seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Def Rtg: 111.3 (9th of 30) Looking at 5 key stats heading into Saturday's clash between top East teams Philadelphia and Milwaukee. For part of his tenures with both the Thunder and Trail Blazers, Greer served as the advance scout for coaching staffs that included Williams. Jarrett Jack, a 13-year veteran of the NBA, played two seasons for Monty Williams in New Orleans. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [4] Cotton Fitzsimmons, Mike D'Antoniand Monty Williamsare the only coaches to have won the NBA Coach of the Year Awardwith the Suns. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Strong was a two-time All-American, two-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection at Guilford, leaving as the Quakers second all-time leading scorer. Jack and Williams also were together in Portland from 2005-2008, Jacks first three NBA seasons as a player and Williams first three NBA seasons as an assistant coach. Monty Williams current head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Activity After years of hard work I have finally completed my mission of becoming a sports agent. Jack played two seasons with Williams as his head coach in New Orleans, teaming with Chris Paul to make the playoffs in 2010-11 and averaging a career-high 15.6 points in 2011-12. In 2010-11, Green was a member of Williams first team as a head coach, averaging 8.7 points while appearing in 77 games to help New Orleans win 46 games and earn a playoff berth. pay top-dollar for . Apr 10, PHO (37-15) beat WAS, 134-106, 53. Posted: Jul 22, 2021 / 04:18 PM EDT. Championship +4000, Over-Under In this Nov. 24, 2019, file photo, Phoenix Suns assistant coach Willie Green looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Denver The Suns will reportedly hire assistant coach Bryan Gates to reunite him with Monty Williams after being an assistant to Phoenix's head coach in New Orleans from 2010-15. "At the beginning of the season, even last season, Coach . < 2021-22. The Phoenix Suns franchise has had 20head coaches. Gates coached under Williams in New Orleans, Jack played for him in New Orleans and Portland while Scalzi was with the Oklahoma City Thunder when Williams was an associate head coach there in 2015-16. Blakes most successful seasons as a player came with Portland in 2005-06 and from 2007-2010 when Williams served as an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers. There are plenty of learning opportunities that lie ahead for all coaches added to the team. Alvin Gentry coached the coached the Phoenix Suns the 20092013, to a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2010. In 2011-12, served as a seasonal assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tokai men's basketball, the year the team won a national title. Congrats, Kevin!Welcome to The Valley, Bryan, Jarrett and Steve pic.twitter.com/J0unPGjF6H. He averaged career highs of 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds with Westchester in 2014-15, then was a member of the New York Knicks team at NBA Summer League 2015. The members of this staff have combined to win multiple NBA titles, conference titles and NCAA titles, bring significant coaching and playing experience at the NBA level, and recognize the attention to details that create the foundation for successful teams. [5] With Ruffin on the Suns staff, he joins fellow new assistant coaches Kevin Gates, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi alongside the returning Randy Ayers, Mark Bryant, Brian Randle and Kevin Young. 38.5, Arena: Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green near deal to become head coach of His first coaching position in pro basketball was as head coach of the Shamrock Rovers in the Irish Super League for the 2006-07 season, which followed time as an assistant coach at Utah Valley University and Oxford College.