The Suns are reportedly planning on casting a wide net this offseason in the search for their next head coach. Interim coach Earl Watson will be among the candidates in the running, with Phoenix also considering Sixers assistant and former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Suns player and current Grand Canyon University coach Dan Majerle and Warriors assistant Luke Walton. Villanova coach Jay Wright is also reportedly in the mix, though there have been conflicting reports about the Suns’ level of interest in the 2016 NCAA National Championship winner.
GM Ryan McDonough had said that Watson would be a candidate for the job shortly after he replaced former coach Jeff Hornacek, and Watson has the support of at least some of the players. Phoenix is just 7-23 since Watson took over, though injuries have limited Brandon Knight to 10 games and Eric Bledsoe to none during that stretch. While the team hasn’t climbed in the standings under Watson, he has improved the Suns’ defense, with Phoenix notching a defensive rating that is good for 12th-best in the league over its past 10 contests. Before Watson arrived, the Suns were a lowly 29th in that category.
Team owner Robert Sarver was reportedly interested in hiring former MVP Steve Nash to coach the team back in February, but Nash remains uninterested in going into coaching on a full-time basis, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Nash currently wants to focus on fatherhood, his various off-court interests, the part-time consulting role with the Warriors that he took on at the start of this season, and his duties as GM of Team Canada, according to Stein.
This brings me to the topic for today: Who should coach the Suns next season?
Has Watson done enough to have the interim tag removed from his job title, or do you feel the team needs to bring in some fresh blood? Out of the reported candidates, who would be the best fit in Phoenix? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
I think they should give Watson a whole season and healthy roster to see what he can do.
I say Watson. He is good with the young guys, they can relate to him.
Watson coached in the Spurs system and has made some progress on at least one end of the floor since taking over the Suns. The front office should look around, but I think Watson is going to look really appealing when all is said and done in this search.
They should let Watson have a go. There’s no reason to pay big money for a coach for a rebuilding team. They should try Watson and see if there’s potential to be a good coach there
I think they should go after Mark Jackson. He has some credibility and would command respect in the locker room. Tom thibodeau is intriguing because he has always been a winner and a top notch defensive guy, not to mention a disciplinarian and over achiever. If not those guys then Watson is my guy. Awesome teacher and motivator.
Watson or Majerley