Report: Monty Williams emerges as Suns' top head coaching target
You can add Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams' name to another team's head coaching shortlist.
The 47-year-old has emerged as the Phoenix Suns' top target in their search to replace former head coach Igor Kokoskov, and the team has been granted permission by the 76ers to meet with him, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Williams is also reportedly a top candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching vacancy and will apparently meet with the California-based club for a second time next week.
Williams has ties to Phoenix's front office, having coached general manager James Jones during the 2007-08 season as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was later hired as New Orleans Pelicans head coach in 2010 by new Suns senior vice president of basketball operations Jeff Bower. Williams went 173-221 across five seasons in the Big Easy, which included two playoff appearances.
Later, Williams was an associate head coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2015-16 campaign before joining Brett Brown's staff this season in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the Suns have also requested permission to interview Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool for the vacant head coaching job, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Kokoskov was fired on Monday after a Western Conference-worst 19-63 record during his lone season leading the Suns.