Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown heaped praise on assistant coach Monty Williams, who will be taking a much bigger role next season with another franchise.

Williams was hired as the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns, who parted ways with Igor Kokoskov after only a season at the helm. Before he takes over in Phoenix, Williams will continue serving in the playoffs under Brown, who had nothing but good words for his deputy.

Brown believes that Williams will be a great fit for the Suns. He said that the 47-year-old coach has the ability to connect to young players, adding that Phoenix will be getting a head coach with great character, who can eventually instill championship mentality to the young squad.

“Monty's ability to connect with players and develop youth, combined with his human qualities and integrity, make this appointment a natural fit,” Brown said in a statement posted on Philadelphia's twitter account. “The Phoenix Suns will be getting a committed basketball coach, who will be persistent, instilling a culture that has championship habits.”

Williams was the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans from 2010-2015 before the two parties opted to parted ways. As a head coach of the Pelicans, he posted a 173-221 record, and had two playoff stints. He then served as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a season before moving to Philadelphia as Brown's top assistant.

Williams was also a strong candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers' head-coaching position. The Lakers were the first team to express interest in hiring him, and have already met with him on two separate occasions. However, the Suns joined the race after firing Kokoskov, and eventually acquired the man they were eyeing since the start of their search.