The Phoenix Suns have had a tough season. They had to fire their Head Coach Frank Vogel after just one season. Well maybe not had to, but they did. One year ago when they hired him and it seemed like a long term relationship that was going to work.
It seems the Phoenix Suns are in the same boat again. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Mike Budenholzer will become the next head coach of the Suns. Just less than 24 hours ago they fired Vogel, so it is a bit shocking they have Budenholzer this quick.
Will this be the coach that takes them to the promised land?
Phoenix Suns: An Experienced Coach
Mike Budenholzer is a basketball man. He has been working in the NBA as a coach for the past 28 years. Budenholzer was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs during their glory years between 1996-2013. He has been through so many NBA playoff battles throughout the years.
Budenholzer has the track record of success being apart of 4 NBA title winning teams in that span with the Spurs. He is well prepared to work with the “stars” that the Suns have in Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. The Phoenix Suns had to hire him if you really think about it.
As a head coach Budenholzer struggled at times with the Atlanta Hawks between 2013-2018 but the team wasn’t awful either, going to the Eastern Conference Finals once in 2015. The Milwaukee Bucks stint is what got him hired here. He coached the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years in 2021 in an improbable comeback series win against ironically, the Phoenix Suns. Budenholzer is a Wisconsin sports legend and he is now trying to become an Arizona sports legend.
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Phoenix Suns: They Hired a Local Guy
Mike Budenholzer was born and raised in Arizona. He grew up in Holbrook, Arizona a small town north of Phoenix. He was a Suns fan growing up so this is a dream come true for Budenholzer. This may be exactly what the Phoenix Suns need to finally win that first title. Someone who actually cares for the Suns deeply.
The Phoenix Suns fans will embrace Budenholzer like they never embraced a coach before. He is one of them, an Arizona native that understands the suffering this franchise has been through since its inception in 1968. Zero championships, three heartbreaking NBA Finals losses in 1976, 1993 and 2021.
It’s not like this team hasn’t had the players to win. They had Charles Barkley one of the greatest players ever. But Michael Jordan got in the way. Then in 2021, Chris Paul and Devin Booker a great tandem that came up short to Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best of his generation.
Now they have three stars Booker, Beal and Durant and a future hall-of-fame head coach.
It’s championship or bust.
About the Author
Mike Nelson lives and breathes sports. Ever since he was very young he has also dreamed of covering sports. Mike graduated from CSULA in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. He has been very lucky to cover sports and be on the radio for the last few years with different organizations including a stint with the LA Galaxy where he was one of the announcers for the LA Galaxy 2 team for two seasons.
Mike loves music, he hosts his radio show/podcast “The Mike Nelson Show” where he has gotten to interview the biggest names in rock and metal including Les Claypool, David Ellefson, and others.
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