Suns Fire HC Mike Budenholzer After Disastrous Season

Another head coach bites the dust.

After just one season in Phoenix, the Suns have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer.

ESPN's Shams Charania shared via X.

Budenholzer failed to lead the Suns to the playoffs after a disappointing first season. They finished with a 36-46 record in his one season.

The Suns entered the season with high hopes and lived up to them for the first nine games. Phoenix started the season with an 8-1 record, but Kevin Durant suffered a left calf strain during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 8th.

Phoenix is the third team in NBA history to start the season at 8-1 or better and miss the playoffs, joining the 1970-71 Detroit Pistons and 2001-02 Milwaukee Bucks.

From that moment on, Phoenix's season spiraled, and they were unable to do anything about it. Now, in mid-April, the Suns will look for their fourth head coach in two years.

The Suns' past two coaches, Frank Vogel and Budenholzer, lasted only 82 games. Vogel at least led the Suns to the playoffs last season, but was swept by the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves.

It became evident that Budenholzer struggled to establish a strong connection with the locker room, as the team noted the players did not respond well to the championship-winning coach. According to Charania, sources indicated that Budenholzer's difficulty in building cohesion with the roster stemmed largely from his relationship with franchise star Devin Booker and extended to other players as well.

The Suns are the fourth team to fire a head coach from December to now and the third team to fire their head coach in the past two weeks. Phoenix waited until the end of their season to fire their coach.

Since taking over as owner, Mat Ishbia has made it clear that patience isn't part of his approach. He expects results quickly—and in today's NBA, that's often the reality. With star power like Durant, Booker, and Bradley Beal on the roster, it's understandable why Ishbia would maintain a win-now mindset.

That said, despite the talent on the court, the Suns' head coaching position may come with some hesitation. While the job is undoubtedly appealing on paper, the short runway for success could give potential candidates pause—especially if there's no assurance of long-term security.

The Suns will cast a wide net for what will be their 26th head coach in franchise history.

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