Phoenix Suns set to hire Frank Vogel as new head coach
Vogel #Vogel
The Phoenix Suns are planning to hire Frank Vogel as head coach to replace Monty Williams, sources confirm to The Republic.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first tweeted the news.
Vogel won an NBA championship coaching the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, but was fired two years later after a 33-49 season in 2021-22. He was one of five finalists for the Suns position.
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The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweeted that a deal was being finalized between Vogel and the Suns.
This is the Suns first major hire under new team owner Mat Ishbia, who bought the NBA franchise and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for a record $4 billion.
The Suns Nurse, who won an NBA championship as a head coach in 2019 with Toronto. When Nurse took the Philadelphia job opening, Suns assistant Kevin Young, Doc Rivers and Vogel appeared to be leading candidates.
Williams posted an 194-115 record in his four seasons in Phoenix. He coached the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals and the NBA’s best record in the 2021-22 season at 64-18 to set a franchise record for victories.
However, the Suns were 0-3 in elimination games under Williams, losing the last two at home by a combined 58 points. Dallas eliminated the Suns in Game 7 of the 2021 Western Conference semifinals, 123-90, and Denver defeated them in Game 6 of the West semifinals, 125-100.
Williams was fired two days after losing Game 6 to Denver and has since agreed to a six-year, $78.5-million deal to lead the Detroit Pistons. It’s the largest deal for an NBA head coach ever.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns set to hire Frank Vogel as new head coach