Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott finished fifth in NBA Coach of the Year voting, the NBA announced on Tuesday, receiving one 2nd place vote and eight 3rd place votes. Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla won the award after leading the Celtics to 56 wins after 4-time All-NBA First Team forward Jayson Tatum was out for most of the year with a torn Achilles.
In his
first year coaching the Suns, Ott led the team to a 45-37 record, helping them return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, where the team won just 36 games.
After trading Kevin Durant and agreeing to a buyout with Bradley Beal last offseason, Phoenix was projected by many to finish at the bottom of the Western Conference standings this season, but the team spent most of the year in the seventh spot in the conference before dropping to the eighth seed during the NBA Play-in Tournament.
Ott’s best month came in January, when he won Western Conference Coach of the Month, as the Suns were tied for the most wins in the month, going 11-5. The Suns’ 30-20 start was the team’s fourth-best 50-game start to a season since 2010.
Throughout the season, the first-year head coach received a bevy of praise throughout the league, including Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr.
Ott will be the first Suns coach since Monty Williams to be retained after their first season, as Phoenix will look to build off their surprising year with some continuity.
