Mike Budenholzer, who is a 2-time Coach of the Year winner, is out in Phoenix after 1 season.
The Phoenix Suns will be searching for a new coach again in the offseason after firing coach Mike Budenholzer.
The team announced Monday it had relieved Budenholzer of his duties and released the following statement: “Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”
OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns announced today that the organization has relieved head coach Mike Budenholzer of his duties.
The Suns released the following statement:
Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve…
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 14, 2025
Phoenix will now begin searching for a coach for the fourth time in the last four seasons. The Suns lost nine of their last 10 games, failing to qualify for the SoFi Play-In Tournament.
The 55-year-old Budenholzer was hired in May, replacing Frank Vogel, who also had a one-year tenure that ended in disappointment. Coach Bud — an Arizona native — won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, beating the Suns in six games in the Finals, and the hope was he could finally bring a championship to the desert.
However, the Suns struggled with injuries and inconsistent play all season, finishing 36-46 and missing the postseason entirely.
The season started with optimism after the Suns jumped to an 8-1 record, but star forward Kevin Durant went down with a calf strain that knocked the team into a tailspin. Even after the 15-time All-Star returned to the lineup a few weeks later, Phoenix was never able to recapture its early momentum.
Budenholzer couldn’t seem to settle on a regular playing rotation with rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro playing big minutes one night before being benched the next. Veteran center Jusuf Nurkic had an awful start to the season — and complained about a lack of communication with Budenholzer — before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Durant and guard Devin Booker stayed relatively healthy for most of the season, but swingman Bradley Beal had constant injury issues and missed more than 20 games in the regular season for a sixth straight year.
The Suns tried to retool at the trade deadline, but Beal’s no-trade clause and the team’s salary cap status above the second apron made making any major moves difficult.
Budenholzer’s departure likely signifies major upcoming roster upheaval for a team that’s underachieved for three straight seasons. Owner Mat Ishbia has deep pockets and a desire to win, but almost every move he’s made since taking over the team in February 2023 has backfired.
Budenholzer did not coach in the NBA in 2023-24 and coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-18 and has a 520-363 record over 11 seasons.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
