Report: Suns, head coach Mike Budenholzer agree to 5-year contract
May 10, 2024, 4:18 PM | Updated: 4:24 pm
The Phoenix Suns and head coach Mike Budenholzer agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth $50-plus million, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Friday evening.
Budenholzer’s hire has not yet been made official by the team. The Suns announced the dismissal of head coach Frank Vogel on Thursday after his one season with the team.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported this would be an expedited head-coaching search for the Suns, cut down to just one to three candidates and completed by next week. Budenholzer was mentioned as the favorite for the job.
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The reported deal would make Budenholzer the fifth-highest paid coach by average annual value, as five head coaches are set to make eight figures next season — although there are more hires coming, such as for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr paces the group after agreeing to a two-year, $35 million contract extension in February. The San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $80 million last summer, while former Suns head coach Monty Williams signed a six-year, $78.5 million deal with the Detroit Pistons after Phoenix let him go following the 2022-23 campaign. The Miami Head gave Erik Spoelstra an eight-year, $120 million extension, as well.
Vogel and the organization agreed on on a five-year, $31 million deal last year to replace Williams. Vogel was fired after the Suns were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. They went 49-33 through a regular season.
Budenholzer will be the third head coach to work for Suns owner Mat Ishbia after the latter officially took control of the team in February 2023. Phoenix has had seven head coaches since 2015-16, Devin Booker’s rookie campaign.
Budenholzer is an Arizona native. He grew up in Holbrook in northern Arizona, where his father Vince won 10 regional titles and one state championship as a high school basketball coach. Vince is in the Arizona High School Athletics Coaches Hall of Fame.
He spent five years as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and another five leading the Milwaukee Bucks.
