PHOENIX – Jeff Hornacek will be officially introduced as the 16th head coach in Phoenix Suns history today at 11:30 a.m.
“We are thrilled to introduce Jeff Hornacek as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns,” general manager Ryan McDonough said in a prepared statement. “Jeff has all of the qualities we were looking for in a head coach—he is a leader, a teacher and a student of the game. Jeff's name has been high on our list ever since my first interview with the Suns. His successes as a player and as an assistant coach, along with his deep ties to this franchise and this community, give us confidence that he will do great things as the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns.”
Hornacek played six years with the Suns, one with Philadelphia and seven with the Utah Jazz. He's spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with Utah, following three seasons as the team's shooting coach.
He was a fan favorite in Phoenix after being selected 46th overall (second round) in the 1986 NBA Draft out of Iowa State, where he began his career as a walk-on. He averaged 13.7 points during his stay with the Suns, including a career-high 20.1 points in his final season, before being traded to Philadelphia in the summer of 1992 in the blockbuster deal that brought Charles Barkley to Phoenix.
Overall, he averaged 14.5 points in 1,077 career games. He was one of the NBA’s premier shooters, finishing his career with a 49.6 field-goal percentage, 40.3 three-point percentage and 87.7 free-throw percentage.
Hornacek and his wife, Stacy, live in Phoenix. He is the brother-in-law of Suns athletic trainer Aaron Nelson.
