We still don’t know who the finalists are for the Phoenix Suns head coaching job, though the rumor mill is beginning to churn. With a decision of this magnitude looming, and with the NBA Draft, free agency, and trade season all set to open within the month, the pressure to get it right has never been higher.
This hire isn’t just about a sideline presence. It’s about direction. Identity. Stability. It’s about shaping what the next iteration of the Suns will look and feel like.
So who’s still standing? Who might be handed the clipboard and the keys to a high-stakes roster? According to Mark Stein’s latest reporting, the list has narrowed to three names: Chris Quinn, Sean Sweeney, and Jordan Ott.
Per @TheSteinLine , Miami’s Chris Quinn and Dallas’ Sean Sweeney have impressed in Suns coaching interviews. Cleveland’s Jordan Ott is also a name to watch. Don’t discount his Michigan State ties with Mat Ishbia, who’s already made one Spartan hire in Brian Gregory. pic.twitter.com/dMyLmkUYKZ
— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) May 26, 2025
Per Stein:
There have been rumbles in coaching circles that both Miami’s Chris Quinn and Dallas’ Sean Sweeney have made strong impressions in the interview process to date among the numerous assistant coaches that the Suns have spoken to since the process commenced.
Cleveland’s Jordan Ott — one of two Michigan State alumni who advanced to the second round of the search — is another name to watch. Beyond his coaching credentials after stints with the Hawks, Nets, Lakers and Cavaliers, Ott’s alma mater cannot be discounted as a factor given that Suns owner Mat Ishbia is never shy about his Spartan ties. Ishbia, remember, has already appointed fellow Spartan Brian Gregory as his new GM despite Gregory’s very limited NBA experience — one season as a full-time Suns executive after on as a consultant.
None of these coaching candidates frustrates me, but none of them thrill me, either. It just is what it is at this point. There’s no home-run hire waiting in the shadows, no Ty Lue walking through that door. What we’re seeing instead is a philosophical pivot.
The Suns are targeting younger coaches with the emotional intelligence to connect with players, something sorely lacking over the past two seasons under Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer. Both came from the old school. Both failed to forge real relationships with their roster. And in a league that increasingly runs on connection, that was a fatal flaw.
This shift is deliberate. It’s a course correction. And while none of these candidates get my heart racing, they represent something important: a move away from what wasn’t working. A step, however cautious, toward something new.
We should have clarity on a hire within the week.
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