The Phoenix Suns seem determined to surround their new head coach Frank Vogel with a stellar supporting cast. After previously making Kevin Young the league’s highest-paid assistant to keep him with the franchise, the Suns went and convinced ex-New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale to join Vogel’s staff as well.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Fizdale decided to join the Suns after being offered a “substantial financial deal.” The 48-year-old coach spent the past season serving as an associate general manager with the Utah Jazz.
The lucrative offer doesn’t seem to be the only reason why Fizdale decided to walk away from a front-office career and return to coaching. He is reportedly excited about the opportunity to coach Suns’ stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, while familiarity with Vogel and general manager James Jones played a role as well.
Fizdale previously served as an assistant for Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 NBA season while being on Miami Heat’s staff when Jones played for the franchise.
David Fizdale previously served as a head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Knicks, being fired into his second season by both organizations. He had one playoff trip with the Grizzlies in 2016-17 and compiled a 71-134 record.
