Ex-Husky Coach Hopkins Resurfaces in NBA with Suns

Phoenix is about to turn even sunnier. The forecast in the desert is nothing but smiles and laughs.

On Tuesday, Mike Hopkins, the former University of Washington basketball coach with the ever cheerful disposition. was hired as an assistant coach by that city's NBA franchise, ESPN reported.

Hopkins, 54, was fired by the UW in March following seven seasons in Montlake, where he compiled a 118-106 record, guided the Huskies to a solitary NCAA Tournament berth, was twice named Pac-12 Coach of the Year and had an overall 122-110 record.

He'll join Mike Budenholzer's new coaching staff, which will include David Fizdale and Chad Forcier. Budenholzer, also 54, previously was the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

While the Husky job didn't last, Hopkins forever will leave his mark in Montlake as possibly the personable basketball coach to come through the program.

The California native was prone to surprise his media audiences during interviews with his fun-loving verbal outbursts, by slapping the table in front of him and even good-naturedly banging his head on it, as the accompanying video will show.

ESPN Sources with @Petethamel: Former University of Washington coach Mike Hopkins — a two-time Pac-12 coach of the year — has agreed on a deal to become an assistant for the Phoenix Suns. Hopkins joins Mike Budenholzer’s new staff after three decades in college basketball. pic.twitter.com/GPKdKOXn4B
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 11, 2024

Before replacing Lorenzo Romar at the UW, Hopkins was an assistant coach for Syracuse, his alma mater, for 22 seasons. At one time, he was designated by the East Coast school as the replacement coach in waiting for Jim Boeheim, but he couldn't wait for his head coach to retire.

Hopkins had instant success with the Huskies, coaching them to 21-13 and 27-9 records in his first two seasons.

However, the program immediately plateaued with the UW suffering through a 15-17 season even with NBA-bound Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels in the lineup as freshman, finishing last in the Pac-12.

The Huskies next suffered through the COVID pandemic worse than nearly everyone else and bottomed out to 5-21 and an 11th-place finish.

The UW made a coaching change following a pair of 17-15 seasons sandwiched around a 16-16 record, replacing Hopkins with Danny Sprinkle from Utah State.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington