Devin Booker head coach timeline: Phoenix Suns star to get seventh coach in 10 years after Frank Vogel fired

10/05/2024

Devin Booker has carved out an excellent career since the Suns drafted him No. 13 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

The former Kentucky guard came off the bench on a stacked college team that finished its season 38-1. Phoenix recognized his talent and selected him before he even turned 19.

He’s since made four All-Star games, one All-NBA team, and been a 20-plus-point-per-game scorer in every season after his rookie year.

These aren’t empty stats either. Booker has led the Suns to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. They even made the NBA Finals in 2021 but lost to the Bucks in six games.

Booker has been consistent year in and year out, but his head coaches have been anything but.

MORE: How Knicks can trade for Devin Booker this offseason

How many head coaches has Devin Booker played for?

Unlike many stars, Booker has been with the same franchise for his entire career despite trade rumors circling. Despite his consistency and commitment to the Suns, the front office can’t seem to find a permanent head coach.

The four-time All-Star has played under six different head coaches in nine seasons. He’ll have his seventh head coach in year 10 after the Suns fired Frank Vogel on Thursday.

Here is each head coach Booker has played for in the NBA:

Jeff Hornacek (2015-16)
Earl Watson (2016-17)
Jay Triano* (2017-18)
Igor Kokoskov (2018-19)
Monty Williams (2019-23)
Frank Vogel (2023-24)

*Hired on an interim basis

Devin Booker head coach timeline

Jeff Hornacek (2015-16)

Booker’s first coach in the NBA was Hornacek, who had been with the Phoenix Suns since the 2013-14 season. Hornacek played six seasons with the Suns during the mid-to-late 1980s and early ’90s.

Hornacek only coached 49 games in the 2015-16 season before Phoenix fired him. The Suns held a 14-35 record and let him go in February 2016.

MORE: Who are the highest-paid NBA coaches?

Earl Watson (2016-17)

Watson was Booker’s first true stab at a consistent head coach after the former NBA guard took over for Hornacek in 2016. He began as the interim head coach, but the Suns hired him full-time after the season.

The 2016-17 season was another dud for Phoenix, who finished 24-58 while Booker eclipsed 22 points per game for the first time. Watson lasted just three games into the 2017-18 season — all of which the Suns lost by a total of 92 points — before Phoenix fired him.

Jay Triano (2017-18)

Triano stepped in as the interim head coach, essentially coaching the entire 2017-18 season after the organization relieved Watson of his duties.

That was the end of the line for Triano, however. The Suns finished 21-61, missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

Igor Kokoskov (2018-19)

Phoenix brought in Kokoskov for the 2018-19 season. He became the first person born and raised outside of North America to be an NBA head coach.

His tenure lasted just one season, however. The Suns had yet another disappointing season after selecting Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. A 19-63 finish ended his brief time in Phoenix.

Monty Williams (2019-23)

For the first time in Booker’s NBA career, he finally had a head coach with notable NBA head coaching experience. Williams was the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans coach for four years beginning in 2010-11.

Williams was the first “stable” coach for the Suns in Booker’s time with the organization. He spent four seasons in the desert, reaching the playoffs three times. The Suns even made the NBA Finals in 2021 but lost to the Bucks in six games.

The Suns ultimately fired Williams in 2023 after back-to-back season-ending losses in the Western Conference semis, the last of which came after the “all-in” move of trading for Kevin Durant at midseason.

MORE: Why did the Suns fire Monty Williams?

Frank Vogel (2023-24)

With Mat Ishbia taking over as Suns owner in February of 2023, he looked to make a splash by hiring an established, veteran head coach. Vogel spent time with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers before the Suns brought him in, winning a title with the Lakers during the 2020 bubble playoffs.

The 2023-24 Phoenix roster had similar championship aspirations after trading for Bradley Beal in the offseason. A barrage of injuries and inconsistent play caused the Suns to fall short of expectations again, as the No. 3 Timberwolves swept the No. 6 Suns in the first round. Vogel was let go a few weeks later despite the 49-33 record and championship pedigree.