The Phoenix Suns announced the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer after just one season on Monday (April 14).
"Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve better. Change is needed," the Suns said in a statement shared on their X account.
Budenholzer went 36-46 during his lone season with the Suns, missing the playoffs despite having the highest payroll in the NBA. Phoenix has gone through a coaching change during each of the past three offseasons, having previously fired former head coach Monty Williams in 2023 and former head coach Frank Vogel, like Budenholzer, after one season in 2024.
Budenhozler, an Arizona native, took over as the Suns head coach hours after Vogel's firing and one year after being fired by the Milwaukee Bucks. The 55-year-old led the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021 and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2019 during his first year with the franchise, but was fired after Milwaukee was upset in the first-round of the 2023 Eastern Conference Playoffs after finishing the regular season with the best record in the NBA.
Budenholzer has a career head coaching record of 520-363, which includes five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, five seasons with the Bucks and his lone season with the Suns.