Normally going 9-24 in a 33-game tryout as a head coach doesn’t bode well for one’s future. However, according to a report from Jude LaCava of Fox 10 (Phoenix), former Phoenix Suns interim head coach Earl Watson is going to get the full-time gig.
https://twitter.com/judefox10/status/722470840353234946
Watson was promoted from within after Jeff Hornacek was fired back in February. His 9-24 record left him with almost the same winning percentage as Hornacek, who was fired after going 14-35 to start his third season at the helm of the team.
So, how did Watson get the full-time gig? By making this team in to a much better defensive group. He took the team from a complete joke defensively to one that was far improved by season’s end.
That improvement was apparently enough to impress ownership, who also reportedly interviewed both Luke Walton and Mike D’Antoni.
The first report was further verified by The Vertical’s NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj reports that it’s a three-year agreement between Watson and the Suns:
The Suns agreed to a three-year deal with Watson, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 19, 2016
It’s a huge step, and a quick one for a guy who is just two-years removed from a 12-year playing career. Watson retired as a player following the 2013-14 season and became an assistant coach under Hornacek the very next season.
Watson will have a tough job ahead, as the Suns finished the season 23-59 and were only behind the Los Angeles Lakers at the bottom of the NBA’s Western Conference standings. That mark also means it has been six years since the Suns made an appearance in the playoffs.
