Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has agreed to a five-year, $50-plus million deal with the Phoenix Suns to become their new head coach following the release of former Suns head coach Frank Vogel.
Mike Budenholzer has agreed to terms on a five-year, $50-plus million deal to become the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Suns land the two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Arizona native. pic.twitter.com/FknlqMY6nD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2024
Budenholzer was the head coach of the Bucks in 2021 when Milwaukee defeated the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals after returning from a 2-0 deficit and winning four games straight to capture the Bucks' second-ever NBA title. Phoenix hopes hiring Budenholzer, a two-time coach of the year and Arizona native, will bring the Suns similar results as the 2021 Bucks.
After the 2023 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks fired Budenholzer after leading the Bucks to a 58-24 record, capturing the No. 1 seed in the East, and Budenholzer did not coach in the NBA for the 2023-2024 season. However, Budenholzer's release from Milwaukee was the Bucks' first-round playoff exit in 2023, losing the series 1-4 to the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat. Budenholzer has a 484-317 record in his career as a head coach, and Phoenix is hopeful for a successful season under their new head coach in the 2024-2025 NBA season.
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