Suns dismiss Vogel, reportedly eyeing Budenholzer
The Phoenix Suns dismissed head coach Frank Vogel after one season, the franchise announced Thursday.
Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is emerging as the front-runner to become the Suns' next bench boss, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The veteran skipper has reportedly been assembling a coaching staff to bring with him.
"As we said at the press conference on May 1, team leadership, including myself, Josh Bartelstein, and ownership, would be looking across basketball operations to determine what changes needed to be made," said Suns president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones. "After a thoughtful review of the season, we concluded that we needed a different head coach for our team. We appreciate Frank's hard work and commitment."
The Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
"We are here to win a championship, and last season was way below our expectations," Jones added. "We will continue to evaluate our operation and make the necessary changes to reach our championship-caliber goals."
The Suns hired Vogel after the championship-winning coach parted ways with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. The 50-year-old led Phoenix to 49 wins in his lone season with the franchise.
Vogel originally inked a five-year, $31-million deal with the organization.
Budenholzer led the Bucks to a championship in 2021. He's gone 484-317 over his last 10 seasons as a head coach.
He'd be the Suns' third coach in as many seasons, as the club previously dismissed Monty Williams in 2023.