Jay Triano is no longer in the running to become the Suns' next head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Chris Haynes.
Triano took over as Phoenix's interim head coach after Earl Watson was fired only three games into the 2017-18 regular season. The Suns finished 21-61 overall (21-58 under Triano) with a roster featuring young talent like Devin Booker and Josh Jackson. While Triano didn't rack up many wins during his brief stint, he is credited with helping develop players like Jackson and providing a foundation for the next coach to build upon.
Triano's most memorable moment with the Suns came back in December against the Grizzlies when he used a little-known NBA rule to his advantage to draw up a game-winning play. Suns forward Dragan Bender threw a perfect lob right above the rim to Tyson Chandler for the buzzer-beating dunk, and the basket counted because a player cannot goaltend on an inbound pass.
TYSON COMPLETES IT! SUNS WIN!#SunsVsGrizzlies pic.twitter.com/DP1bWTriuh
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 27, 2017
Before joining the Suns as associate head coach in 2016, Triano served as the head coach of the Raptors from 2008-11, becoming the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history. He is also the current head coach of the Canadian national team.
With a few openings around the league, Triano may not be out of work long. As for the Suns, they are reportedly looking at a few high-profile candidates, including former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale.