Phoenix Suns: 5 reasons Igor Kokoskov was a great hire
5. Bringing back a familiar face
Familiar faces don’t always work out. Dan Majerle‘s time on the Suns’ coaching staff didn’t have the happiest of endings, Jeff Hornacek was canned two and a half seasons into his tenure and there are a myriad of other examples throughout NBA history where a familiar face has tarnished the memory of their time with an old acquaintance.
However, there’s also a certain level of comfort with bringing back a familiar face, so for the younger or more casual Suns fans concerned their team just hired some random “no-name” assistant, they should know that Kokoskov was also a Suns assistant for five years.
Igor Kokoskov was an assistant coach with the Suns from 2008-13. He became a U.S. citizen during a ceremony on the Suns' home court in 2010.
— Shane Dale (@ShaneDaleAZ) May 2, 2018
That familiarity with the franchise should help the first-time NBA head coach get acclimated more quickly, even if most of the players and executives he knew from his time in Phoenix are gone now. He’s been a Valley native since his time with the team, meaning he should feel right at home from day one.
It’s not a terribly important factor, but for a fanbase anxious about not bringing in one of the “big names,” it’s worth mentioning that he’s at least a familiar — and successful — one.