Dallas Mavericks Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney is once again garnering attention for vacant head coaching positions, in what may now be able to call an annual trend. This time, the Phoenix Suns are in the running for his services. After Monty Williams won Coach of the Year in 2021-2022 while manning the sidelines in Phoenix, the Suns are now looking for their fourth coach in as many seasons, after Williams gave way to Frank Vogel and then to Mike Budenholzer.
Chris Haynes dove into the Suns’ head coach search on his aptly named Haynes Briefs YouTube show, where he listed the eight candidates the Suns are considering in what is their second round of interviews. AZ Sports Zone corroborated Haynes with a post on X naming the eight.
The 8 coaches that advanced:
Sean Sweeney
David Fizdale
James Borrego
Johnnie Bryant
Jordan Ott
Steve Hetzel
Micah Nori
Dave Bliss https://t.co/OKTvproOQT
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) May 18, 2025
Sweeney tops a list (though there is no indication the names were displayed with any type of priority) that should cause some consternation among Mavs’ fans. Sweeney has often been credited as the defensive mastermind in Dallas and can be considered Jason Kidd’s right-hand man. The two were together in both Brooklyn and Milwaukee for Kidd’s prior head coaching gigs, so it was no surprise Sweeney teamed up with him again in Big D. While most of the focus is rightfully placed on the players, key cogs to a coaching staff shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s only a matter of time before Sweeney lands in the big chair somewhere, but the timing seems particularly troublesome this Offseason.
Dallas is fresh off the notorious trade of Luka Doncic and an injury-laden season the likes of which the franchise had never before seen. Coming out of the chaos and with a fresh opportunity to transition into the Cooper Flagg era, it would be nice to have continuity on the coaching staff, especially when you imagine Sweeney’s defensive prowess with Flagg’s skills on the defensive end. While there is a selfish side that is rooting for any of the other seven candidates to get the nod, Sweeney has put work for the past decade-plus and before long will get a shot at the top of the pyramid, whether in Phoenix or elsewhere.
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