2. Monty Williams
Again for Monty Williams to finish runner-up here says a lot about the last decade of Suns basketball. As of this moment he is the highest paid head coach in the league, and is running a Detroit Pistons organization that is going nowhere fast. That fanbase does not want him around, and it is telling that a lot of Suns fans would have taken him back in a heartbeat.
But to be fair to Williams, he was the guy who helped get the Suns to the NBA Finals back in 2021. To do so while getting the best out of Ayton on the defensive end is no mean feat, although you could make the case that both Hornacek and Vogel could only heave dreamt about having the roster that Williams had at his disposal.
Williams was able to call upon Booker, Paul and Ayton, while Bridges was one of the best two-way players in the league and the kind of defender this current version of the Suns could only dream about having. Take nothing away from Williams though, he didn't overcomplicate things or make what was an ideal situation any worse with his coaching style.
If anything he was canned at the right time, because he is remembered in a much more positive light than others on this list. He also got the best out of Booker on that run to the finals, but again balance of the roster was a lot better than it was for Vogel or Kokoskov before him.