Monty Williams, reigning NBA Coach of the Year, agreed to a long-term extension with the Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday.
Williams, who had two seasons remaining on his original five-year contract, is now signed under contract for several more seasons. The specifics of the extension have not been disclosed.
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In the three years since Williams took over as head coach in 2019, the Suns have posted the second best record in the league. They made the NBA Finals in 2021 and were the top overall seed entering the 2022 NBA playoffs, recording eight more wins than their next closest competitor, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Williams played in the league for nine seasons, before joining Nate McMillan’s staff as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers. He spent five seasons in Portland and got his break at 38 when the then-New Orleans Hornets hired him as their head coach in 2010. Despite leading New Orleans to two playoff appearances, Williams was let go after five seasons.
A brief stint as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder ended in tragedy when his wife of over 20 years, Ingrid, was killed in a head-on collision in Oklahoma City. In the wake of Ingrid’s death, Williams stepped away from coaching. He continued to serve as an executive and advisor to the San Antonio Spurs and his longtime mentor, Gregg Popovich.
Williams returned to the locker room in 2018, serving as an assistant to Brett Brown in Philadelphia, before Phoenix took a chance on him.
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Despite being upset in the second round of the playoffs last season, the Suns look poised to make another run at capturing the franchise’s first championship.
They recently signed All-Star point guard Devin Booker to a four-year, $224 million extension, and matched Indiana’s offer for restricted free agent Deandre Ayton. Chris Paul still has three seasons remaining on his contract at 37 years old. Phoenix is also in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, as they're reportedly the disgruntled Nets superstar's preferred destination.
With Williams locked in for several more years, the Suns’ core remains intact.