Suns name Earl Watson as interim head coach

The Phoenix Suns promoted assistant coach Earl Watson to interim head coach in the wake of Monday morning's dismissal of Jeff Hornacek.

The hiring was first reported by Yahoo's Marc Spears.

Watson joined the Suns as an assistant last July after spending one year as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs' D-League affiliate. The former 13-year NBA veteran served as a development coach for the Suns.

Phoenix also interviewed assistants Corey Gaines and Nate Bjorkgren before deciding on Watson. The team was said to be interested in club legend Steve Nash, too, but he apparently turned down those overtures in favor of his current position as a consultant with the Golden State Warriors.

A journeyman who played for six NBA teams, Watson carried a reputation as a well-respected veteran and was often spoken about as a future head coaching candidate.