The Suns have agreed to hire Utah Jazz assistant coach Igor Kokoškov as their next head coach, according to a team release.
Kokoškov will be the first NBA head coach born and raised outside of North America.
The Belgrade, Serbia native has helped lead the Jazz to the Western Conference Semifinals each of the past two years.
Kokoškov will join the team after the Jazz finish their playoff run.
“Igor has been a pioneer throughout his basketball career and he brings a wealth of high level coaching experience to our club," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said in the release. "He was one of the first non-American born assistant coaches at both the NCAA and NBA levels and his most recent head coaching stint includes leading the Slovenian national team to the 2017 EuroBasket title, which was the first European title in the history of the country. Igor’s teams have always had a player development focus, a creative style of play and a track record of success.”
The Suns had the worst record in the NBA last season at 21-61, giving them the best odds at the top pick in June's draft.
According to the team release, Kokoškov became a U.S. citizen in Phoenix back in 2010 during his time as an assistant for the Suns. He was an assistant with Phoenix from 2008-2013.
