Suns remove interim tag, hire Watson as coach
The Phoenix Suns have hired Earl Watson as their new head coach, the team announced Tuesday.
Sources told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Watson received a three-year deal from the Suns.
Watson, 36, served as the team’s interim coach for the final 33 games of the season after Jeff Hornacek was fired Feb. 1. Despite going just 9-24 in that role, Watson was considered to have done a strong job of developing the Suns’ young players and re-establishing a strong culture within the locker room.
“Earl did a very good job with our team last season after taking over as interim head coach during a challenging time for the organization,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said in a statement. “Earl’s natural leadership qualities and his ability to connect with and motivate our players have stood out throughout his time here in Phoenix. We are excited to see what he can do with a healthy roster after having a full offseason to prepare.”
Sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Suns players strongly supported Watson in exit meetings with management and it had a positive influence on the hiring process.
“At some point in the season, we had the mindset that we were accepting losing,” Devin Booker told reporters after the season. “Once Coach Earl stepped in, we didn’t accept losing anymore. We were fighting in games, even when we were down 15, 20 late. We fought back to almost win a lot of games.”
During Watson’s tenure, the Suns ranked second in the NBA in rebounding and also improved defensively over the final month, allowing 5.1 fewer points per 100 possessions.
“He was put in a really tough situation. We were a broken team when he took over and he came in with passion, with a real positive influence and he embraced the situation,” Ronnie Price told reporters of Watson. “He took us in as a unit and made us feel like a family. You look across the league and you see the winning teams and the way they are, the way they bond … they bond like a family. And that’s the direction we’re moving in, and it started with him.”
