First-year head coaches have pressure mounting on them, especially Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott. Although he was ready to be a head coach after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach, he had a task unlike his predecessors.
Phoenix had lofty championship expectations, which it failed to meet by a wide margin. It led to a massive overhaul of trading Kevin Durant and releasing Bradley Beal. Still, the Suns believed hiring Ott could mask the dark past, and it has appeared to do just that.
Through 39 games, they have a 24-15 record, much to everyone's surprise. The outsiders were shocked, but no one in the organization had any doubts. When he was hired, the team went through a pool of candidates, and Ott impressed everyone.
They even got Devin Booker's approval before putting pen to paper. His hiring raised some eyebrows because of the apparent Michigan State connection between him, general manager Brian Gregory, and majority owner Mat Ishbia.
Immediately, Ott refuted, saying that he deserved to be in that position. Safe to say his assertion has come true. Again, everyone remains impressed except the people in the organization.
Players have mentioned how late the first-year head coach would be in the practice facility, breaking down film. It might've seemed to be overkill and perhaps a bit cliché, but it's paying dividends.
Jordan Ott has established the Suns' culture and identity
More often than not, culture comes from the players and leaders in the locker room. Yes, some coaches in the NBA set the tone, but that mantra belongs to more seasoned coaches, not rookie ones.
That assertiveness captivated the team, and Ott's gravity pulled on every player. As a result, Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, and Grayson Allen are all having career years.
The latter two are more worthy of a case study, considering they are veterans in the league. A coach that gives you the green light, along with balancing feel with analytics, makes everyone feel comfortable.
But that doesn't give anyone a green light to slack off.
If anyone does, he gets on them and lets out that intensity. On game days, that intensity is channeled into stoicism. The practice facility is meant to fine-tune, and Ott will do whatever is necessary.
Some guys he trash-talks, while building up others, or blending the two. Gillespie shared with ClutchPoints that his head coach has a good sense of when to bring the intensity.
“JO is also a player's coach in terms of just feeling out the guys on and off the court,” Gillespie shared pregame before the Suns faced the Nuggets in late November. “He knows when he has to be intense and when he has to raise his intensity to try to get it out of us if we're having a slower, sluggish day.
“He's really good with that in terms of just feeling out the room and feeling out his players.”
Head coaches respect and see what Jordan Ott is building with Suns
Ott might be bashful about recognizing his credit so far, but others aren't afraid to say it for him. While he credits the practice facility, the players' buy-in, and leadership from top to bottom, he carries significant weight in the team's success.
Whilst the Suns and Ott are earning respect across the league, more coaches know that this isn't a fluke. The success is here to stay.
Before the Oklahoma City Thunder's first time playing Phoenix, head coach Mark Daigneault gave major props to what Ott is building. The same goes for Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
“They have a real identity. I think Jordan has done a fantastic job. They're really well organized offensively, and then defensively they just play hard, every night,” Kerr said before the Warriors game against the Suns on December 18.
“Really tough team, very impressive. To me, one of the most impressive stories in the league is when you consider where people expected them to be and where they actually are. It's just a clear-cut identity and playing hard every night.”
“They have a real identity. Jordan (Ott) has done a fantastic job… One of the most impressive stories in the league when you consider where people expected them to be and where they actually are.”
Steve Kerr with high praise for the Suns 🙌
(via @HaydenCilley) pic.twitter.com/Ag5ISC2CF8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 19, 2025
Jordan Ott has the respect of the Suns players
A wise person always said that respect isn't given, it's earned. Ott knew he was walking into a head coaching job with one of the league's most coveted stars in Devin Booker.
The four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA guard has unfortunately seen his carousel of head coaches come and go. The longest tenured coach he had was Monty Williams, who only lasted for four seasons.
Following Williams's departure, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer each coached for only one season. As soon as the offseason loomed, they hired an NBA assistant in Ott's. His track record might've seemed like playing it safe but that was what they needed.
He's turned into the hardest worker in the room, and everyone is following.
Someone like Brooks knows a thing or two about being a workhorse. During training camp and media day, he talked about how Ott was a gym rat in his own sense. Staying in the facility for almost 12 hours breaking down film has once again proven useful.
Also, seasoned veterans like Royce O'Neale have started making the case for the award.
“He has a way of connecting with the players, putting us in positions to succeed, offensively and defensively connecting us,” O'Neale said after the Suns win over the Washington Wizards in January.
“He is also willing to listen, see what we see out there while he is coaching us, him listening to Devin (Booker) in the game. I think it is just all of the above.”
The Suns have emerged as a potential lottery team to one of the league's best stories. And it's in part to Jordan Ott and what he has built and will continue to build.
A Coach of the Year award wouldn't satisfy Ott in the slightest, but it would certainly be deserving considering what he inherited and what was expected.
