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Jordan Ott, a former assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, has been hired as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns.He is known for his attention to detail, calmness, and ability to connect with players of all levels.
Jordan Ott started his NBA journey in 2013, working for Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta with four future NBA head coaches who were assistants at the time.
Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham has a picture in his office to prove it.
“Myself, Jordan, Bud, Kenny Atkinson, Quin Snyder and Taylor Jenkins,” Ham said. “Some high-level basketball being discussed in those coaches meetings. It all wasn’t pleasant conversations. I tell you that. We used to go back and forth like mad dogs.”
Make it now five.
Ott will have his introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, June 10, at the team’s practice facility.
“It’s good to see him grow to this point where he has his own team,” Ham said. “We used to have a lot of in depth, long conversations about what comes with that seat.”
Ott was a Los Angeles Lakers assistant under Ham for two seasons (2022-24). The Lakers reached the 2023 Western Conference finals in Ham’s first season with Ott as his assistant after winning just 33 games the previous season.
“Him riding shotgun with me and sort of my special teams coach, helping me with special situations, helping me with overall offensive and defensive concepts that we were trying to implement,” Ham said about Ott. “We didn’t win a championship, but we had a great amount of success in that situation. There’s no one more deserving, man. He’s a humble kid, tough, smart.”
Ott, 40, worked for Atkinson this past season in Cleveland as the Cavaliers posted the NBA’s best record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18. Atkinson won 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year with Ott as one of his top assistants. Ott had previously worked for Atkinson in Brooklyn, where he spent six seasons (2016-22).
“He has a great feel, which is an intangible I think that is just as valuable,” Ham said about Ott. “You’ve got to know your Xs and Os, you’ve got to be well equipped with player development, programs and understanding both sides of the ball, but I just think the feel for people nowadays with so much going on. The world is moving so fast between social media and the everchanging landscape of our league from playing styles to playing trends, he’s abreast to all of that. He stays on top of all of that.”
Ham said he and Ott stayed in contact throughout the process as the Suns began their coaching search back in April after firing Budenholzer after one season.
“He’s well versed in analytics, but he doesn’t rely on that to be his only flashlight,” Ham continued about Ott. “At the end of the day, he’s all about competitiveness, group being together and playing the right way.”
Ott and fellow Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant were finalists for the position after more than 15 candidates were interviewed.
“It must have been a difficult choice because it’s a lot of coaches that were in that pool of candidates that I know,” Ham said. “I can only imagine (the Suns) trying to decide which direction to go, but ultimately I think what magnifies Jordan is just his steadiness, his calmness, his attention to detail.”
Ott will be the fourth Suns coach in four seasons. Budenholzer was fired after Phoenix won just 36 games to mark the first time the Suns had a losing record since 2019-20, which was the last time they missed the playoffs.
“He can move in any room,” Ham continued about Ott. “It can be the rich of the rich or the poor of the poor. Guys who are struggling trying to get into the league, guys who are max players. Guys who are superstars. Guys who are super duper stars. He’s able to communicate with a variety of different people. His message is simple, but straight to the point, detailed and efficient. I’m proud of him.”
Having been a first-year NBA head coach, Ham talked about Ott needing to establish a foundation the Suns can build upon.
“It’s tough because everyone wants to hear about success, how successful you’re going to be and very rarely do they talk about the work to get from point A to point Z,” Ham said. “The biggest thing for him is creating an overall theme for your team. It can be one word. It can be three different words.”
Ham’s message when joining the Lakers as a head coach with Ott as an assistant: Competitiveness. Togetherness. Accountability.
“You take your overall theme, and you break it down into pieces of the daily process and how you’re going to get there,” Ham said.
Ham remembers Ott always saying, “keep the main thing the main thing” religiously.
“That’s what he’s about,” Ham said. “Again, getting straight to the point, but also knowing there are things you have to do in the short term in order to achieve your long-term goals. The mission has to be get better every day and he’s aware of that from Bud’s program in Atlanta, when he went off with Kenny in Brooklyn and coming back with me. He understands. He’s built from that cloth of every day try to get better at something. That daily process leads to progress.”
The time is now for Ott to establish himself as NBA head coach after starting his coaching career in a room filled with future head coaches in Atlanta.
“You can talk about winning and getting to the playoffs and championships, but OK, how does that look in September, October, whatever is left of the summer?” Ham said. “(The Suns) had a long summer. So guys should be in the gym being efficient with their workouts, but (Ott) understands how to weave that fabric all together and get the results they’re looking for. I doubt if you’ll ever hear him talking about championships. Not saying that’s not what he wants to do because he’s well aware that’s the end goal, but you’ll hear him talking about how we can get better every day and maximize everything they got.”
Ham concluded by saying Ott will “have a plan for everyone that allows them to come together and have success.”
The Suns have reached the finals three times (1976, 1993, 2021), but they haven’t won an NBA championship.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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