Valley of the Suns
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The Phoenix Suns got their man in new HC Monty Williams

By Khaleel Abdullah

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Assistant coach Monty Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Assistant coach Monty Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Fans, It’s time to look forward to a new beginning, as the Phoenix Suns just got their man in new head coach Monty Williams.

This morning the news came out that the Phoenix Suns have hired Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams as their new head coach.

John Gambadoro, on Twitter, stated that the Suns were adamant that they wanted someone with experience and had targeted Monty Williams right from the start. He also broke the news that this is a 5-year deal.

Prior to his being fired, I wanted Igor Kokoskov to get at least one more season as head coach with a better roster to give him a more fair shot. I was bummed out when he got canned but this hire makes me feel better and it should make you feel better.

This will be the franchise’s fifth head coach in as many seasons, so rightfully we, as fans, wanted to see some continuity after not being able to see any over the last half decade. That was given to us by the length of the contract, as long as the team sticks with him but we know they at least plan to as there’s no reason for that kind of length if they didn’t.

Speaking of five years, Monty holds five years of head coaching experience with New Orleans, from 2010-15. During that time, he held a 173-221 record (.439 winning percentage). He doesn’t just hold regular season experience, either. The Hornets/Pelicans made the playoffs twice during his tenure.

Williams, at 47-years-old, has a relationship with two of the Suns’ top front office guys so the connection surely helped in being able to secure his services. He worked under new Suns senior vice president of basketball operations Jeff Bower and also coached Suns GM James Jones.

He was an assistant coach with the United States national team under Mike Krzyzewski along with Jim Boeheim and Tom Thibodeau, for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the 2015-16 season, he was associate head coach under Billy Donovan on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sadly, during that season, his wife Ingrid died in a car crash which understandably caused him to step away for a while.

This season he has been the lead assistant coach for the Sixers under head coach Brett Brown. Adrian Wojnarowski, on Twitter, stated that he will stay with Philadelphia until the end of their playoff run. No problem. That’s more experience and it’s good to let him finish the 2018-19 campaign where he started it.

light. Related Story. Hopefully Monty Williams makes Devin Booker happy

After missing out on top choices Mike Budenholzer and David Fizdale last summer, it’s great to see that the Phoenix Suns end up with their top choice at head coach this summer. The Suns got their man. Hopefully, good things are to follow.

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