Report: Suns' Monty Williams named NBA Coach of the Year

Monty Williams is the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the regular season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Suns finished a franchise-best 64-18 in the regular season and beat the New Orleans Pelicans in six games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Suns and Dallas Mavericks are currently tied 2-2 in a Western Conference Semifinals series.

Williams, 50, played 10 seasons in the NBA before joining the coaching ranks in 2005 as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers. He became the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets in 2010 and coached the team for five seasons before he was dismissed. The Hornets/Pelicans made the playoffs twice during his tenure, but never advanced past the first round.

After two stints as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns gave Williams his second head coaching job in 2019, taking over a team that finished the 2018-19 season with a 19-63 record. Phoenix improved to 34-39 in his first season and Williams led the team to the NBA Finals in his second season.

Williams is the third Suns coach to win the award. The other finalists for NBA Coach of the Year were Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat.