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Hornets assistant out of the running for Phoenix Suns head coaching job

Josh Longstaff will stay put in Charlotte.
Schuyler Callihan|
Jan 19, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; A detail view of the center court logo for Classic Night game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Phoenix Suns at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; A detail view of the center court logo for Classic Night game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Phoenix Suns at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff was reportedly among several candidates being considered for the Phoenix Suns head coaching vacancy. Unless he gets a look from the newly opened job in New York, he'll be back on the Hornets' bench in 2025-26.

According to Shams Charania, the Suns have narrowed their search to a pair of assistants on Kenny Atkinson's staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott.

Longstaff got his start in coaching at the high school level and made the jump to the NBA from there following the 2010 season, landing a job with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He spent parts of four seasons there before joining the New York Knicks. He momentarily took a step back from the NBA to be the head coach of the Erie BayHawks, the G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to the NBA a year later, securing a spot in Milwaukee, and then moved on to the Chicago Bulls before landing on Charles Lee’s staff in Charlotte.

With this news, it's unlikely that any changes will be made to the Hornets' coaching staff for the 2025-26 season.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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