The Phoenix Suns have agreed to make Utah Jazz assistant coach Igor Kokoskov the teams new head coach, it was announced Wednesday. The sides reached a three-year agreement, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
With the hire, Kokoskov, a native of Serbia, becomes the first head coach born and raised outside of the U.S. in NBA history.
Kokoskov brings a wealth of coaching experience with him to Phoenix. He started his coaching career in 1992, spending five years as an assistant and youth team coach in his native Serbia. He then spent a year as an assistant coach at Missouri under Quin Snyder.
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He began his NBA coaching career during the 2000-01 season as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers, which were followed by stints with the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic. He won a championship in 2004 with the Pistons.
Kokoskov also served as an assistant with the Serbia and Montenegro national team from 2004-05 and was the Georgia national team head coach from 2008-15. Most recently he was head coach of the Slovenian national team from 2015-17, leading them to the 2017 EuroBasket gold medal.
Igor has been on the Jazz staff for the last three seasons, being a key member of a coaching staff that has led the team out of a rebuild and developed young talent. He has helped Utah to consecutive playoff appearances, with both resulting in first round series victories.
Kokoskov will officially take over the Suns job following Utah’s playoff run.
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