Phoenix Suns: 5 candidates to replace Igor Kokoskov as head coach

4. Mark Jackson

These are dark days indeed when hiring Mark Jackson feels like a move that would bring stability to an NBA franchise, but that’s where Phoenix is at. His time with the Golden State Warriors was tumultuous, which feels like a potentially nightmarish mix with an unstable organization like the Suns, but hear me out.

The Dubs underachieved on the offensive end under Jackson, but he did instill a top-10 defense that still serves as one of the underlying foundations for a legitimate NBA dynasty. The Suns obviously don’t have that same caliber of roster, but even a functional defense would be an improvement on where Phoenix has been the last few years.

Plus, keep in mind that the top candidates won’t be tripping over themselves to work for owner Robert Sarver. The Suns might have to settle on someone who’s really craving a return to the sidelines, and M-Jax fits that bill.

Jackson would be like a Doug Collins or, well, a Mark Jackson type — the coach who puts a team on the right path before being replaced with a Phil Jackson or a Steve Kerr who comes in and helps that same team bust through its ceiling.

Jackson’s personality divided the Warriors front office and even the locker room, but the reverend also had the support of his most important players. As Devin Booker advances to his fifth head coach in as many NBA seasons, finding someone who will get him and the rest of the young core to buy in — as Jackson did in Golden State — could be just as important as cultivating a respectable defense. Desperate times, desperate measures.