In hiring Monty Williams, the Phoenix Suns are now on their fourth head coach in the last five years — which is not exactly a good look.
Jeff Hornacek was fired midway through the 2014-15 campaign, clearing the way for Earl Watson. Watson remained the head coach through 2017; however, he was fired three games into the 2017-18 season. Jay Triano then took over for the rest of that campaign and was let go at the end of the year.
Before the 2018-19 season, the Suns hired Igor Kokoskov, who lasted just one year before being canned.
Enter Williams, who is now looking to be the one that sticks around.
“Continuity, having a staff here for a while and putting in a system that the players can rely upon, but ultimately it will come down to James, myself and the players pushing this thing forward,” Williams said during his introductory news conference Tuesday, per The Associated Press via NBC Sports.
“The players are going to have to embrace a level of work and commitment that it takes to be a champion.”
Williams spent the 2018-19 campaign as an assistant under Brett Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was out of the league for two years before his Sixers stint, last serving as an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2015-16.
However, Williams does have head coaching experience, as he coached the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans from 2010-11 through 2014-15. He compiled a 173-221 record during his tenure in NOLA, making a couple of playoff appearances in the process.
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