Nets' assistant coach Steve Hetzel among candidates for Suns HC job
The Brooklyn Nets looked like they found the right head coach in Jordi Fernandez and it seems like Fernandez built a solid coaching staff based off what the players have said. As Brooklyn looks to add more talent to the roster for the coaching staff to develop and lead, Fernandez may have to already think about how he would replace one of his more popular assistants.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Nets assistant coach Steve Hetzel is among the candidates for the Phoenix Suns head-coaching position. Following a disappointing season where the Suns finished with a 36-46 record under head coach Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix decided to fire Budenholzer one year after hiring him for the job following the firing of Frank Vogel.
Advertisement
"Among the candidates believed to have progressed in consideration for the post include one assistant coach still working in these playoffs (Minnesota's Micah Nori)," Stein wrote. "Several assistants from eliminated teams (Brooklyn's Steve Hetzel, Cleveland's Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott, Dallas' Sean Sweeney and New Orleans' James Borrego) and one holdover from Budenholzer's staff (two-time former NBA head coach David Fizdale) who could well be asked to stay on as part of a new coach's bench."
Hetzel has been an assistant coach in the NBA for the past 12 seasons, a journey that involved him spending time with the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Portland Trail Blazers before joining Fernandez's staff this past season. Hetzel has been helpful to Fernandez and the players on the staff, given that his area of expertise is in player development and on the defensive side of the ball.
As Stein reported, Hetzel is among seven candidates under consideration for the Suns' head-coaching spot, including men like Borrego and Fizdale that have been head coaches in the league before. The competition is steep, but Hetzel has been one of the faster-rising names in the coaching ranks, but it's fair to assume that Fernandez and company are hoping that Hetzel remains in Brooklyn.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' assistant coach Steve Hetzel among candidates for Suns HC job
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Juan Soto's solo home run (12)
It Is Reportedly 'Inevitable' That The Rangers Will Move K'Andre Miller This Offseason Speculation regarding K'Andre Miller's future with the New York Rangers continues to pick up steam.


Washington Post
19 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Yankees' Aaron Judge hits third-longest homer of MLB season, a 469-foot shot in first inning vs KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Aaron Judge hit the third-longest homer in the majors this season in the first inning of the Yankees' game against the Royals on Tuesday night, a 469-foot shot to left field off Noah Cameron that landed on top of the Kansas City franchise's Hall of Fame. Judge's two-run homer had an exit velocity of 117.9 mph, tying it for the third-hardest hit homer in the majors. It was his 24th of the season, and came two days after the two-time and reigning MVP hit a pair of homers in a loss to the Red Sox.


Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
OAKMONT, Pa. — Two-time major champion Jon Rahm comes into the U.S. Open off another top 10 at LIV Golf, which is nothing new. The Spaniard has never come in lower in the 20 events he has finished since joining the Saudi-backed league at the start of last year. Is that a big deal?