Phoenix Suns G League team announce Paul Jesperson as new head coach

Valley Suns GM Brendan Sabean on Jesperson:

“Paul is ready to take this next step in his career as he moves into the role of head coach,” said Valley Suns General Manager Brendan Sabean in an Aug. 18 news release. “His background and experience complement our vision to utilize the G League as a lifeline of development for Suns and Valley Suns players. He’s a natural fit for the job and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact he can make as head coach.”

After Little was hired to be a part of Suns head coach Jordan Ott’s coaching staff, the G League team wanted to stay internal for its next hire and elected Jesperson to lead the team in its second season at Mullett Arena. His previous coaching experience is being an assistant coach for the Oklahoma Sooners and a player development coach with the Atlanta Hawks for two seasons.

Jesperson had a memorable college basketball career, as he famously hit a half-court buzzer beater for Northern Iowa  against Texas in the 2016 NCAA Tournament to pull off the massive upset. Sadly, the very next round the Panthers would blow a 10-point lead in the final 30 seconds to NBA Champion Alex Caruso and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Despite being in only its second season, the Valley Suns will already have its second head coach in franchise history. Jesperson will have to follow a strong debut performance from Little, as the team made it to the quarterfinals last season.