He has Phoenix ranked in the top 10 in opponents points per game and defensive rating. Former Wizards head coach Scott Brooks struggled with in-game adjustments during his tenure, but Green might excel there while also connecting more with the locker room. He started as a player development coach under Suns head coach Monty Williams in New Orleans, spending time as an assistant coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach as well. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin. Mar 19, PHO (27-13) beat MIN, 113-101, 42. Before his coaching career, Ayers played at Miami and led the team to an upset of defending champion Marquette in the first round of the 1978 NCAA tournament. Join our linker program. Im November und Dezember 2021 blieben die Suns 18 Spiele in Folge ungeschlagen und stellten . An NBA assistant coach since 2009, he also holds experience on the bench of the Sacramento Kings from 2016-2019, a first tenure with Minnesota in 2015-16, five seasons with the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans from 2010-2015 and a first tenure with Sacramento in 2009-10. Monty Williams is the Head Coach of the Phoenix Suns. (Series Stats), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. "I just don . [5] Alvin Gentry was named head coach after Terry Porter was dismissed by the Suns after 51 games in 2008. The coaching staffs of the Suns and Heat were split among the four teams: Team Worthy, Team Payton, Team Isiah and Team Barry. Scalzi first joined the organization as an assistant coach with the Tulsa 66ers, then the Thunders NBA G League affiliate, in 2013-14. Congrats, Kevin!. Rajakovic received a basketball coaching degree from the Belgrade Basketball Academy in 2004 and a degree in sports management from Alfa BK University in Belgrade in 2006. The start of the Kevin Durant era mid-season with the Phoenix Suns will be some brilliance mixed with some stagnation. Fois also assisted Gonzagas head coach Mark Few as the video coordinator for the 2015 USA Basketball Pan American Games Team coached by Few that won bronze in Toronto. Stay in the know. Five years later, Jeff Van Gundy still gets emotional, recalling the funeral service for Ingrid Williams, wife of Suns coach Monty Williams. May 5 @ ATL, PHO (47-19) lost to ATL, 103-135, 68. Green, who played in the NBA from 2003-2015, already has a very successful track record as an assistant coach. 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. The 6-3 point guard was a member of nine teams to qualify for the playoffs, averaging 4.6 points and 2.5 assists in 53 career postseason games (13 starts). With two top 10 picks in this years draft, Green being able to install good habits with an extremely young core could finally lead to stability Orlando has craved for years. 109.5 (7th of 30), SRS: 5.67 (3rd of 30) The Gates announcement came earlier in the summer following the departure of Willie Green to the New Orleans Pelicans. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Dallas Mavericks have had the Phoenix Suns' number since the tail-end of their playoff series. Do you have a sports website? pay top-dollar for . In addition to his time at ASU, Greers coaching background includes serving as a college assistant coach at Wright State University (2003-2005), Boston University (1994-2003) and Brandeis University (1989-1992), in addition to working as recruiting coordinator at Boston College from 1992-1994. NBCA Director of Communications For his career, Blake averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 38.3% from three-point range in 870 regular season games (347 starts) with Washington, Portland (three tenures), Milwaukee, Denver, the LA Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State and Detroit from 2003-2016. Feb 1 @ DAL, PHO (11-8) beat DAL, 109-108, 20. The Phoenix Suns announced in a press release the promotion of Kevin Young to associate head coach, as well as the additions of Bryan Gates, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi as assistant coaches. 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 Updated: . The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. He served as a player development coach for the Thunder the past two seasons, which followed five seasons as director of analysis and opposition scouting from 2014-2019, including when Williams was the teams associate head coach in 2015-16. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. The native of New York, New York received his bachelors degree from Northeastern. Interestingly, all of Phoenix's current assistants joined the team prior to the 2019-20 season -- at the same time . We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Young, who was an assistant coach last season with Phoenix, was an assistant with the Phildelphia 76ers for four seasons prior to coming to the Valley. Young served as an assistant coach in his first season with the Suns in 2020-21, helping the team win the Western Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Philadelphia announced the coaches who will join Doc Rivers this upcoming season. As a player, Green made the playoffs in seven of his 12 seasons, including the year in New Orleans -- one of just seven playoff trips the team has made in franchise history. Mar 30, PHO (32-14) beat ATL, 117-110, 47. Associate. Apr 25 @ BRK, PHO (42-18) lost to BRK, 119-128, 61. Dec 31 @ UTA, PHO (4-1) beat UTA, 106-95, 6. Igor Kokokov head coach of the Phoenix Suns 20182019. Er erhielt in Phoenix einen Vertrag bis 2016 und soll die Suns wieder in den Bereich der Playoffs fhren. . Jan 20 @ HOU, PHO (8-5) beat HOU, 109-103, 14. Before entering the coaching ranks, Greer played collegiately at Northeastern University and was the teams captain during his senior season in 1988-89. Before his professional career, he was the 2007 NABC Division III Co-Player of the Year at Guilford College. Dec 26 @ SAC, PHO (1-1) lost to SAC, 103-106, 3. Championship +4000, Over-Under A 6-11 forward/center as a player, Strong played five seasons in the G League from 2011-2016, averaging 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 183 career games with the Iowa Energy, Delaware 87ers, Austin Toros and Westchester Knicks. Apr 22 @ BOS, PHO (42-17) lost to BOS, 86-99, 60. He served as an assistant coach for the Timberwolves in 2018-19 after working as the clubs advance scout in 2017-18. Born in Manassas, Virginia, Strong grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Suns have also added Ryan Frazier as head video coordinator. He worked as an assistant coach with the Warriors when the team won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. Ayers best seasons came in 1990-91 and 1991-92 when he led the Buckeyes to consecutive No. Prior to being selected with the 41st overall pick by Seattle in 2003, Green was a four-year standout at the University of Detroit Mercy. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, Suns lead assistant Willie Green has interviewed for three head coach openings with the New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Washington. 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 John MacLeod is the franchise's all-time leader in coaching years and games won, winning the most regular-season and playoff games. MICHAEL H. GOLDBERG NBCA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD, TEX WINTER ASSISTANT COACH LIFETIME IMPACT AWARD. 51-21, Finished 2nd in NBA Feb 28 @ MIN, PHO (22-11) beat MIN, 118-99, 34. Steve Scalzi is coming to the Suns after coaching seven years in Oklahoma City. He is of Native American descent as his father is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. A native of Olbia, Italy, Fois played professionally in Serie B Basket, Italys third-tier professional league, from 2009-2012. [6] Gentry left the Phoenix Suns under mutual agreement to part ways on January 18, 2013. 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. 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. Does that change with two new stars? He was drafted 32nd overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and had a nine-year NBA and professional playing career, with stops in Chicago, Philadelphia, Utah, Washington, Milwaukee, Portland, as well as overseas in Spain. He was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in both seasons and was the consensus national coach of the year for 1990-91. Something went wrong. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? 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. Apr 15, PHO (40-15) beat SAC, 122-114, 56. On May 3, 2019, Williams became the 20th Head Coach* in Suns history. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.6 assists over 867 career regular season games with Portland, Indiana, Toronto, New Orleans, Golden State, Cleveland, Brooklyn and New York. Ja Morant will be away from the Memphis Grizzlies for at least two games as the NBA investigates a social media post after he livestreamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a club. All of the franchises Green has interviewed with were all in the same position as Phoenix two seasons ago. Bryant, 54, played two seasons with the Suns from 1996-1998, posting career highs of 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 55.3% shooting in 1996-97. In terms of immediate on-court success, Washington could be the best landing spot for Green. 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. (Photo by Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for TopSpin). He played alongside Chris Paul during the 2010-11 season as well. Following a lengthy playing career in the NBA G League and overseas, Strong entered the coaching ranks as assistant coach with the mens basketball program at Huntingdon College for two seasons from 2016-2018. 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. (Series Stats)Won NBA Western Conference Finals (4-2) versus Los Angeles Clippers May 16 @ SAS, PHO (51-21) beat SAS, 123-121, Ranks are per game (except for MP, which are total) and sorted descending (except for TOV and PF); opponents ranked are flipped; year/year calculations are also per game, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. 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. He was a member of Larry Browns staff with the 76ers from 1997-2003, where he coached both Williams and Bryant, then was Greens first NBA head coach with Philadelphia in 2003-04. Pace: 97.2 (26th of 30), Off Rtg: 117.2 (5th of 30) The Phoenix Suns' starting lineup with Kevin Durant was announced pregame on Wednesday, revealing the team's fifth starter. Last season, Ruffin was an assistant for Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G League. Feb 16, PHO (17-10) lost to BRK, 124-128, 28. I am now a certified agent in NFLPA, NBPA, FIFA. A native of Detroit, he won Horizon League Player of the Year as a senior in 2003 and helped the Titans to two NIT appearances in 2001 and 2002, including a trip to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 2001. He qualified for the playoffs seven times in his 12 seasons, averaging 5.2 points in 36 career playoff games (12 starts). 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. The move was first . Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 202122season. Feb 24, PHO (20-11) lost to CHO, 121-124, 32. 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. Most recently the Georgia Tech alum played with the 2021 NBA G League Ignite. Jan 22, PHO (8-6) lost to DEN, 126-130, 15. 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. Rajakovic served as the Thunders head coach at NBA Summer League in 2014 and 2015. Won NBA Western Conference First Round (4-2) versus Los Angeles Lakers The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. Updated: 4:47 PM MST September 24, 2021 PHOENIX Michael Ruffin will be joining the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach, the organization announced Friday. May 15 @ SAS, PHO (50-21) beat SAS, 140-103, 72. His brother, Andy, is also an experienced NBA assistant coach. Phoenix Suns assistant coach Willie Green is reportedly among a list of candidates for the Orlando Magic's head coach vacancy following Steve Clifford's departure from the organization. The Suns (26-7) currently have two players in health and safety protocols, Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder, both of whom didn't play Monday. The Phoenix Suns franchise has had 20 head coaches. Rajakovic began his coaching career at 16 years old with the youth teams of Borac Cacak in his hometown of Cacak, Serbia. 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. 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. Does that change with two new stars? PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns today announced the promotion of Kevin Young to associate head coach, as well as the additions of Bryan Gates, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi as assistant. Apr 12, PHO (38-15) beat HOU, 126-120, 55. 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. 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. He led the ACC in assists per game in each of his final three seasons, and led the NCAA in total assists in 2002. Bryan Gates, Jarrett Jack, and Steve Scalzi have joined the coaching ranks for Phoenix as well. Bryant played 15 total NBA seasons from 1988-2003 with Portland, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Denver and Boston, averaging 5.4 points on 50.0% shooting and 3.8 rebounds in 797 regular season games, and also appeared in 79 playoff games with trips to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 as a member of the Trail Blazers. 6:07pm: Former Jazz coach Quin Snyder has agreed to become the Hawks' head coach, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports. 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. Rajakovic (pronounced RYE-ahk-oe-vich), 40, comes to the Suns after seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, spending the last five as an assistant coach. 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. The new assistant in Phoenix had a nine-year playing career from 1999-2009, spending time on the Bulls, 76ers, Jazz, Wizards, Bucks and the Blazers. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Before returning to the NBA with Oklahoma City in 2015, Greer spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State University from 2012-2015. I write about the NBA, NFL, UFC for Forbes.com. Overall, the 6-9 power forward averaged 6.0 points on 52.2% shooting and 4.1 rebounds in 111 games (40 starts) with Phoenix, in addition to 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in eight playoff games. 1 regional seeds in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1991 and the Elite Eight in 1992. Young served as an assistant coach in his first season with the Suns in 2020-21 after four seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers. This is a BETA experience. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. Jan 9 @ IND, PHO (7-3) beat IND, 125-117, 11. Please enter a valid email and try again. He would replace Stan Van Gundy, who left the Pelicans after just one season. 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 the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Hall of Famers James Worthy, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and Rick. Posted: Jul 22, 2021 / 04:18 PM EDT. 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. 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. 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. Ayers entered coaching as a graduate assistant for two seasons at his alma mater, Miami University in Ohio, then spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point before joining Ohio States staff. His roles included director of analysis, opposition scouting, and player development coach. Agler now is in college athletic . Def Rtg: 111.3 (9th of 30) They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. Langston Galloway joins Warriors on training camp deal, per report, Chris Paul teams with hoops hall of fame for HBCU double-header in Phoenix, Ja Morant says hell get help; video shows apparent gun. [7] He was replaced by Lindsey Hunter halfway through the 201213 NBA season. "At the beginning of the season, even last season, Coach . He first joined OKC as an assistant coach for their G League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers. In assembling a staff, the goal was simple: identify high-character individuals with high-level experience who will work relentlessly to develop a culture of championship habits here in Phoenix. The native of Silver Spring, Maryland worked as an equity capital markets analyst from 2016-2017 before his time at George Mason. Support local journalism. In 2014, while Rajakovic was serving as Tulsas head coach, Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks included him as one of his assistant coaches at the 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Sources: Suns' Green near deal to coach Pelicans, Morant to miss two games after video with gun, Curry, Iguodala probable to return vs. Lakers, Sources: Suns hiring Pistons' Bartelstein as CEO, Grizzlies' Clarke tore Achilles, out for season, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Sources: Dragic joining Bucks for rest of season, Nets filling out big-man depth with Noel signing, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies. After three years with Borac Cacak, he was named the head coach of the U20 and U18 teams of Red Star Belgrade and led Red Star to two Serbian championships in his eight years in Belgrade. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In 2012, the Serbian native initially joined the Thunder organization as head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, becoming the first head coach born outside North America in NBA G League history. Green, 37, joins the Suns following three seasons as assistant coach/player development for the Golden State Warriors. Apr 28, PHO (44-18) beat LAC, 109-101, 63. Gates joins the Suns following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The latest coaching additions are continuous proof of that. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Kevin Young was also promoted to associate head coach as Willie Green had the same position the last two seasons before becoming head coach in New Orleans. Phoenix coach Monty Williams is hiring Bryan Gates as an assistant to replace Willie Green, who left to become New Orleans head coach, sources tell ESPN. Ayers has spent 17 total seasons on an NBA bench and was head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of the 2003-04 season. The meat of the story revolves around WNBA player Kristi Toliver's unique . [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]. As Portlands starting point guard, Blake averaged a career-high 11.0 points in 2008-09 and a career-high 5.1 assists in 2007-08, helping the Trail Blazers improve from 32 wins before he returned in 2007 to 41 wins in 2007-08 then 54 wins and a playoff berth in 2008-09. KTAR. 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. Bryant, a former Suns player, returns to Phoenix after most recently spending 12 seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jack joins the coaching ranks after a 13-year NBA career as a player from 2005-2018. Dec 27 @ SAC, PHO (2-1) beat SAC, 116-100, 5. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images), (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images). The Phoenix Suns announced in a press release the promotion of Kevin Young to associate head coach, as well as the additions of Bryan Gates, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi as assistant. Jeff Hornacek coached the Phoenix Suns the 20132016. NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: Willie Green appears at the 7th Annual New York City TopSpin Charity [+] Event at Metropolitan Pavilion on December 9, 2015 in New York City. [4] In his first year as associate head coach, Young became the Suns' acting head coach for a four game stretch in late December/ early January with Monty Williams in health and safety protocols. Former Timberwolves player development coach Brian Randle is joining Monty Williams' staff with the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach, .