New Suns Coach Shares First Comments

PHOENIX -- New Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott is ready to get to work.

After officially being announced as the 23rd head coach in Suns franchise history, Ott offered this in the team's official press release:

“To be named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns is a dream come true, and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of leading this team,” said Ott.

“I would like to thank Mat Ishbia, Brian Gregory and Josh Bartelstein for this incredible opportunity. My goal is to build a culture that across all levels – from coaches to players to support staff – will work hard every single day to put a product on the floor that makes our fans proud.”

Ott will be replacing Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after a dismal 36-46 season that saw Phoenix miss the postseason for the first time since 2019-20. Ott is the fourth head coach in as many years for the Suns as they are still in pursuit of their first franchise championship.

Ott's Resume

From Phoenix's press release of the Ott hire:

"Ott is a veteran basketball coach with nearly two decades of experience including 12 years in the NBA. He spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers under NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson where he helped the team to a 64-18 record and the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. Cleveland led the league in Offensive Rating by scoring 121 points per 100 possessions, the second-highest rating in NBA history. Ott also worked closely with Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley during his season in Cleveland, helping Mobley earn NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors and his first career All-NBA selection.

"Throughout his 12 seasons in the NBA, Ott’s teams have earned 10 playoff berths and compiled a 517-447 (.536) record. Prior to Cleveland, Ott served two seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers where he helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals in 2023. He was an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets for six seasons from 2016-22, helping the team reach the playoffs in each of his final four seasons in Brooklyn. Ott’s first NBA position came with the Atlanta Hawks where he spent three seasons as a video coordinator from 2013-16 and was part of the Hawks team that won a franchise-record 60 games in the 2014-15 season."

Ott will have his introductory press conference next week.