Rating the Phoenix Suns Coaching Staff for 2020-21

The Phoenix Suns finished off their season in a flurry. An 8-0 record in the bubble propelled the front office to aggressively pursue Chris Paul, and the organization is now set to charge up the Western Conference standings.

As the start of the regular season inches closer and closer, now’s a good time to get to know the Phoenix Suns, coaching staff.

Entering his second season as the Phoenix Suns head coach, Monty Williams has a golden opportunity to win his first playoff series. Williams led the Pelicans to the postseason twice during his five years in New Orleans, although the Pelicans lost in the first round on each occasion.

Before his stint in the Big Easy, Monty was an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers for five seasons (2005-2010). He then spent one season as the Thunder associate coach and one season as an assistant to Brett Brown in Philly before arriving in Phoenix.

Monty’s coaching started sooner than he had anticipated when lingering knee issues forced him into early retirement. Williams averaged 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds during his nine-year playing career.

A few changes were made to the Phoenix Suns coaching staff during the truncated offseason. Most notably, Darko Rajakovic has moved onto the Grizzlies, and a pair of new assistants have been added to the workforce.

Also worth noting, Steve Blake was dismissed from his duties as an assistant in July – before the Suns went undefeated in the bubble.

One of Monty’s fellow assistants in Philadelphia, Kevin Young, arrives in Arizona this season with a great reputation for orchestrating offensive game plans. As gifted as the roster in Philly was that Young had the pleasure of tutoring, he’s got an even better collection of talent in Phoenix.

As savvy of a basketball mind as Brian Randle possesses, the Sun’s new assistant is an “even better person.” From an assistant video coordinator with the Timberwolves in 2018-19 to a player development coach in year two, Randle’s a fast-riser in the NBA coaching circle.

The lead assistant for the Phoenix Suns had a productive career in the NBA and is on his way toward becoming a head coach. Willie Green spent three seasons with the Warriors before accepting a position with the Suns, and here’s a snippet of what GSW assistant Bruce Fraser had to say about Green’s prowess.

“He’s a head coach in our league. He’s got great pedigree. He has really good feel. He has an emotional intelligence.” 

When Monty Williams took the job in Phoenix in 2018, he made sure that Mark Bryant would be part of the Suns coaching staff. Bryant was teammates with Williams for briefly in 2002 and spent a year coaching alongside Monty in Oklahoma City.

In all, the 55-year-old New Jersey native has been an assistant coach in the NBA each and every season since 2004.

Eight years as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes preceded what has now been a 21-year (and counting) journey wearing a suit on the NBA sidelines. Ayers’ relationship with Monty Williams runs deep, specifically when he was one of Monty’s assistants for four seasons in New Orleans. 

Now that you have been updated on the Phoenix Suns coaching staff, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with two coaching staffs in Los Angeles. After all, these are two of the teams standing in the way of Phoenix reaching their ultimate goal.