The Phoenix Suns coaching search is finally down to two names.
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The finish line is finally in sight. By week’s end, the Phoenix Suns should know who will be holding the clipboard on the sidelines for the 2025–26 season. It feels like I’ve typed those words a dozen times over the past month. Because I have. This has been a deliberate, methodical search from Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory as they work to find someone who truly aligns with the vision they have for this franchise moving forward.
And in truth, that’s what this process needed to be. Not just a coaching search, but a mirror. A moment for the organization to stop, reflect, and define who they are and who they want to become, not only as a basketball team, but as a culture. Because that’s been the root issue since Ishbia took over: a series of quick fixes. Band-Aids over deeper fractures. Star players thrown together, head coaches swapped out, culture left to fend for itself. You can’t build lasting success on temporary solutions.
Now, with two candidates left standing — Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant, both currently assistants under Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland — the hope is that whoever gets the job will be empowered to build something lasting. That this hire won’t be judged by October or even by next spring, but by whether they can help restore a foundation and establish a culture built to endure.
Back on April 15, the day after the Suns parted ways with Mike Budenholzer, we polled the community to see who the fanbase wanted on the sideline. Willie Green topped the list with 31%, followed by ‘Other’ at 21%. It turns out Ott and Bryant were living quietly inside that ‘Other’ category.
Now, with just two names left, it’s time to take stock. Will your opinion of Jordan Ott be swayed by his Michigan State ties and proximity to Mat Ishbia, or will you weigh his credentials on their own merit? Do you value the player development résumé Johnnie Bryant has carefully built over years of work with rising stars and established vets alike?
This isn’t just about a clipboard and a title, it’s about who you believe can help reshape the Phoenix Suns into what they should be.
It’s time to vote.
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