Suns' Williams voted Coach of Year by peers for 2nd straight season

Phoenix Suns bench boss Monty Williams was voted Coach of the Year by his peers for the second straight season, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Tuesday.

Williams guided the Suns to an NBA-best and franchise-record 64-18 mark this past campaign despite lengthy injury absences to stars Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

Willie Green of the New Orleans Pelicans, Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat also received votes.

"I am thrilled and overwhelmed to be recognized by my peers and receive the Michael H. Goldberg Coach of the Year Award from the NBCA," Williams said in a statement.

"The coaches in our league sacrifice so much to serve their teams, and there are so many outstanding coaches deserving of this honor. It is incredibly humbling to again receive this recognition from this group, for whom I hold the utmost respect."

Phoenix was the only team this season to finish top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Suns are making consecutive postseason trips for the first time since 2008.

Williams has a 149-78 record over three campaigns in the desert. He coached Team LeBron at the 2022 All-Star Game after guiding the Suns to a league-leading 40-9 start.