Insider: Suns Making 'Great Progress' on Head Coach Hire

A 36-46 finish to what started as a season full of promise for the Phoenix Suns inevitably resulted in wholesale changes.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer was relieved of his duties after just one season on the post a day after the season ended. James Jones was demoted. Brian Gregory was promoted in the place of Jones.

The first task at hand for Gregory? Hiring his own head coach - which will be the fourth in as many seasons for the organization.

It appears as if the process is going according to plans.

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reported the Suns have moved swiftly in the two weeks since promoting Gregory as general manager of the organization - and they have backed up the promise of creating an expansive search.

"Sources informed The Arizona Republic this week the Suns have conducted more than 15 interviews during the initial stages of the search and are making 'great progress.'”

This backs up a report from Suns insider John Gambadoro yesterday - who believes a new coaching hire will be made in the near future.

"The Phoenix Suns have cast a wide net in their search for the next head coach reaching out to and interviewing 15-20 candidates. The 2nd-round should begin soon but I would not expect a final decision this week or next. Most likely closer to the end of the month or early June," said Gambadoro.

Rumored candidates for the role have ranged from up-and-coming assistant head coaches such as Johnnie Bryant to older coaches with prior experience such as former Memphis Grizzlies head man David Joerger.

It will become much easier to have access to prospective candidates in short order, as Bryant's Cleveland Cavaliers just saw their season come to an end, while Jared Dudley and Chris Quinn saw their respective teams head home in recent weeks as well.

Regardless of what direction the search goes, the ultimate decision could be one of the most vital in the history of the organization.