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May 10, 2024 11:13 am

Report: Suns to hire Mike Budenholzer as head coach

Mike Budenholzer

The Phoenix Suns plan to hire Mike Budenholzer as their next head coach on a contract that is expected to approach $10 million per year, The Athletic reported Friday.

The Athletic also reported that lead assistant coach David Fizdale is expected to move to a new front office role.

The reports come one day after Phoenix dismissed Frank Vogel as its head coach. That move came on the heels of the Suns following up a 49-33 season by being unceremoniously swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Budenholzer, 54, is from Holbrook, Ariz. He was fired by Milwaukee in May 2023, just two years removed from leading the Bucks to an NBA title.

A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Budenholzer posted a 271-120 record in five seasons with the Bucks (2018-23) and a 213-197 mark in five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (2013-18).

One season into his latest tenure as head coach, Vogel helped Phoenix and a triumvirate of All-Stars — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and newcomer Bradley Beal — challenge the 50-win mark despite injuries that disrupted the lineup regularly.

Vogel replaced Monty Williams, who was fired at the end of the 2022-23 season following a loss in the conference semifinals and subsequently hired as the Detroit Pistons’ head coach.

Vogel, 50, has 480 career regular-season victories as head coach of the Indiana Pacers (2010-2016), Orlando Magic (2016-2018), Los Angeles Lakers (2019-2022) and Suns. He led the Lakers to the NBA title at the end of the pandemic-interrupted 2019-20 season.

–Field Level Media

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