Profile: New Phoenix Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov

Katherine Fitzgerald | Arizona Republic

Eric Christian Smith/AP

The Suns are hiring Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov as their new head coach.

Kokoskov (kuh-KOS-kov) was an assistant with the Suns from 2008-13 and was an early target for the team in its coaching search. A native of Serbia, he will become the first coach born and raised outside North America in NBA history.

Kokoskov, 46, becomes the 19th head coach in franchise history. He is in his third season as an assistant coach with the Jazz and 18th season overall as an NBA assistant coach.

“I am thrilled to be the next coach of the Phoenix Suns and greatly appreciate the opportunity that Robert Sarver and Ryan McDonough have given me," Kokoskov said in a team statement released on Thursday. "I am certainly proud to be the first head coach in the NBA raised outside North America and just as excited to return to the Suns organization and Phoenix, my family’s second home for the past 10 years. It’s a place where I was a part of tremendously talented and successful teams and I look forward to working toward a championship."

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Kokoskov will begin his duties as Suns coach after the Utah Jazz finish their season.

"My time here in Utah has been invaluable and we are in the middle of an important playoff run with a very special group of players and coaches who deserve my full attention," Kokoskov said. "At the end of the season, I look forward to turning focus to my next challenge, building a strong program in Phoenix and creating the success the fans deserve.”

The Suns front office felt confident in their hire.

“We are thrilled to bring Valley resident Igor Kokoskov back to Arizona as head coach of the Phoenix Suns,” General Manager Ryan McDonough said in a statement on Wednesday. “Igor has been a pioneer throughout his basketball career and he brings a wealth of high level coaching experience to our club. He was one of the first non-American born assistant coaches at both the NCAA and NBA levels and his most recent head coaching stint includes leading the Slovenian national team to the 2017 EuroBasket title, which was the first European title in the history of the country. Igor’s teams have always had a player development focus, a creative style of play and a track record of success.”

Taking the title at EuroBasket boosted Kokoskov's reputation. It also gave him a chance to coach Luka Doncic, who is widely anticipated as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft – and could be a target for the Suns.

While McDonough recognizes that connection, he said Kokoskov's ties to Doncic were not a factor in the hire. Instead, the focus was on Kokoskov's ability to develop younger players.

"That’s been a pattern of Igor’s wherever he goes – that the young players in particular develop and get better," McDonough told The Republic on Wednesday. "He’s a guy that, as a head coach, isn’t afraid to play young players that have had success. And then as an assistant coach, he has a strong record of developing players and helping them improve and helping their teams win games."

The final interview took place in Houston on Monday, in between Games 1 and 2 of the Jazz's series with the Houston Rockets. After phone interviews over the past few weeks, McDonough and Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones flew to Texas to meet Kokoskov.

"With the fact that he was coaching in the middle of a playoff series, and there were other teams and other candidates ... we had to finalize things pretty quickly over the last 24 hours," McDonough said. "I think he's very complete as far as a guy who's never been an NBA head coach, but he's done just about everything else there is to do to prepare."

Suns guard Devin Booker was also able to weigh in during the hiring process.

"With Devin, we talked to him throughout the process," McDonough said. "The offensive creativity, the player development, all that stuff was important to Devin and was important to us as well."

Kokoskov's time as an assistant in Phoenix also made McDonough confident in the hire and was encouraging for other current Suns players.

“When it comes to sets, spacing, being aggressive, he’s really good at that,” Jared Dudley told azcentral sports' Scott Bordow in April, on what he thought of Kokoskov's first stint in Phoenix.

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Other players weighed in positevely as well.

"Very excited about having Coach Igor here with us in Phoenix," guard Brandon Knight said in a text to azcentral sports. "(He's) very smart and knows how to win. Excited to get started and work with him!"

Kokoskov has also served as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic (2015), Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-14), Detroit Pistons (2003-08) and Los Angeles Clippers (2000-03).

“We are so happy for Igor and his family,” Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey told the Salt Lake Tribune. “Igor is a man of integrity who has worked very hard at his craft. A good coach is immensely valuable in this business.”

The hire comes in the wake of a wide-ranging coaching search that had included Mike Budenholzer, Steve Clifford, James Borrego and Jason Kidd, among others.

"We had a number of good candidates throughout this process, " McDonough said. "That was one of the reasons we were so aggressive out of the gate. We knew there would be a number of head-coaching openings around the league. In a 30-team league where close to a third of the head-coaching jobs are open, obviously there's competition."

On Sunday, interim head coach Jay Triano was informed he was no longer under consideration.

“I personally hoped they would hire Triano,” center Alex Len said in a text to azcentral sports. “I loved playing for Jay and I think he would have more success if he had a little bit better roster. But about Igor, all I heard is only great things about him as a person and coach. I think he will be a great fit and hopefully will be able to turn around this franchise.”

For the Ukrainian-born Len, the history Kokoskov is making was also important.

“I'm also proud of him being the first non-American head coach in the NBA. (I) wish him nothing but great things,” said Len, who is set to become a free agent.

Kokoskov is expected to sign a three-year deal, according to McDonough.

"One thing that worked in our favor is that his family has kept a home in Phoenix," McDonough said.

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Phoenix Suns coaches through the years

The long road

Igor Kokoskov, 46, now finishing up his time with the Utah Jazz, has paid his dues on the way to becoming the Suns’ 19th head coach in franchise history.

1992-99: Following his education at University of Belgrade, coaches in Serbian League and Adriatic League.

1999: Becomes first European coach to hold a full-time position with an NCAA Division I basketball program as an assistant coach at Missouri under Quin Snyder, who is now head coach of the Jazz.

2000: Becomes the first non-American assistant coach in league history, joining the Los Angeles Clippers.

2003: Joins Detroit Pistons as assistant coach and wins an NBA title with the Pistons in 2004, becoming the first non-American assistant to be an NBA champion.

2008: Joins the Suns as assistant coach.

2010: On June 18, becomes a U.S. citizen in a ceremony on the Suns’ court at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

2013: Joins the Cavaliers as assistant coach.

2015: Joins the Magic as assistant coach.

2016: Joins the Jazz as assistant coach.

2018: On May 2, named head coach of the Suns.