Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been voted as the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The league’s 30 head coaches vote on the award, which was named in honor of late NBCA executive director, Michael Goldberg.
Williams resurrected the Suns’ floundering franchise, leading Phoenix to a 51-21 regular-season record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Williams led the Suns to their first Pacific Division title since 2007, and they became the fifth team in league history to improve its win total by 15 or more games in successive seasons. Phoenix improved by 17 games this season — in just a 72-game shortened regular season.
The Suns were one of only four teams to be ranked in the top 10 in defense (6th) and offense (7th) this season.
Two years ago, Williams inherited a team that had gone 19-63.
Among those also receiving votes, sources said: Washington’s Scott Brooks, Denver’s Michael Malone, Atlanta’s Nate McMillan, Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers, Utah’s Quin Snyder and New York’s Tom Thibodeau.