The Suns plan to hire a couple of assistant coaches to join new head coach Mike Budenholzer‘s staff.
League sources tell Sarah Todd of The Deseret News that Phoenix will hire Jazz assistant Chad Forcier to work with his longtime colleague. Forcier and Budenholzer coached together in San Antonio before Budenholzer became a head coach and then Forcier spent four years on Budenholzer’s staff in Milwaukee, according to Todd.
In addition to Forcier, the Jazz lost assistant Lamar Skeeter to Charlotte this offseason. Utah plans to promote people from within the organization instead of hiring new coaches, Todd reports. In particular, Sean Sheldon will be promoted to a front-of-bench role.
Phoenix will also be hiring Chaisson Allen as an assistant, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Allen was a highly regarded college player for Northeastern and spent five seasons playing internationally before transitioning to coaching. He has mostly coached in the G League, including a two-year stint as head coach of the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate. He’s another person Budenholzer is familiar with, since their time with the Bucks overlapped.
David Fizdale and Vince Legarza will reportedly be assistant coaches under Budenholzer as well.