Mike Budenholzer has agreed to become the coach of the Phoenix Suns, as per someone familiar with the decision. The Suns have chosen him because he previously defeated them in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Budenholzer, aged 54, is taking over from Frank Vogel, who was let go after just one season. The source spoke to The Associated Press anonymously because the agreement hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.
According to reports from ESPN and The Athletic, Budenholzer’s contract is for five years, with The Athletic mentioning it’s around $50 million.
Originally from Holbrook, Arizona, Budenholzer was the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 when they made a comeback from a 2-0 deficit to win against the Suns in the Finals.
Phoenix has never won an NBA championship, despite making it to the Finals three times in 56 seasons.
Budenholzer’s task will be to maximize the performance of the Suns’ All-Star trio: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. This trio didn’t quite click under Vogel, with the team ending last season with a 49-33 record before being swept by Minnesota in the playoffs’ first round.
Budenholzer was let go by the Bucks after five seasons in 2023 and didn’t coach in the NBA last season. Before his time with the Bucks, he coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2018 and has a coaching record of 484-317 over 10 seasons.
