Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Suns were searching for a new head coach. Monty Williams took the head coaching job with Detroit, leaving the vacancy in Phoenix. The Suns hired former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. He was tasked with managing the star power the Suns had on their roster.
However, Phoenix never played to their full potential during the regular season. That was due to injuries to key players and several other factors. Regardless, the Suns finished with a 49-33 record and were the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They were matched up against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in the first round. Phoenix promptly was swept by Minnesota. With uncertainty after their disastrous end to the season, the Suns parted ways with former head coach Frank Vogel after one year. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Phoenix is expected to hire former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Will Mike Budenholzer last longer than one season as head coach of the Phoenix Suns?
The Phoenix Suns plan to hire Bucks champion Mike Budenholzer as their head coach on deal expected to approach eight figures per year, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Holbrook, Ariz., native will be tasked with optimizing Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal. pic.twitter.com/eWFMedRNA2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2024
According to Shams Charania, players on the Suns’ roster essentially lost trust in former head coach Frank Vogel. He noted that the fit was never right and Vogel was on the hot seat after being swept in the playoffs. It didn’t take the Suns long to find their replacement, former Bucks championship head coach Mike Budenholzer. The 54-year-old has been a coach at some level in the NBA since 1996-97, until Milwaukee fired him at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Budenholzer did not coach in 2023-24, but he’ll be back in the league next season. This will be his third head coaching job in the NBA. He was the head coach for five seasons in Atlanta and five seasons in Milwaukee. His career head coaching record is 484-317. During the 2021 postseason, Budenholzer and the Bucks won the NBA Finals. Now, Budenholzer is tasked with putting Phoenix in a situation where they can compete in the Western Conference playoffs.
“[The Suns] announced that they have fired Frank Vogel as head coach… The players essentially lost trust in Frank Vogel”
“The plan is for the Suns to hire 2021 Bucks championship head coach, Mike Budenholzer”@ShamsCharania with the latest on the Phoenix Suns ☀️ pic.twitter.com/vJfFgCHKxu
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 10, 2024
While the Western Conference playoffs are still going on, there seems to be a shift of power. Teams that used to dominate the playoffs like the Warriors and Lakers are at home watching. Minnesota and Oklahoma City have taken over in the West. Can older teams like Phoenix regain control of the Western Conference next season? We’ll see what new head coach Mike Budenholzer has in store to make the Suns a playoff contender once again.
