After spending two days feeling out the head coaching vacancy in his home state, Mike Budenholzer has reportedly decided to pass on a job with Phoenix.
The current head coach of the Atlanta Hawks surfaced as a surprise candidate for the Suns last week and met with team officials on Monday and Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Atlanta Journal-Constitiution‘s Michael Cunningham, though, Budenholzer has withdrawn from consideration for the job.
Here’s more from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer withdrew from consideration for the Suns head coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday night.
Budenholzer interviewed with Suns officials this week after the Hawks gave him permission to do so. He’s under contract with the Hawks for two more seasons after coaching them for the past five.
ESPN first reported Budenholzer’s withdrawal from consideration for the Suns job.
The Hawks hired Budenholzer, 48, as head coach after he was a Spurs assistant for 17 seasons . The Hawks were 24-58 in 2017-18, last in the Eastern Conference, after they made the playoffs in each of Budenholzer’s previous four seasons.
The Suns will now turn their coaching search to other options, including interim coach Jay Triano. Former Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, former Houston Rockets coach (and current Turner Sports analyst) Kevin McHale, former Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford and former Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel are also under consideration for the job, per Wojnarowski.
Arizona Sports 98.7’s John Gambadoro adds that Phoenix will also interview Utah Jazz assistant coach Igor Kokoskov and San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego.
New name for the Suns coaching search – Phoenix will interview Utah assistant coach Igor Kokosov for their vacant head coaching job. Former Rockets coach Kevin McHale and Spurs assistant James Borrego are also candidates.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) April 20, 2018
