When he was fired as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans following the 2014-15 season, Monty Williams said he prayed that if he ever led an NBA team again, it would be in a city he enjoyed with a chance to compete at a high level.
Six years later, it appears that Williams’ prayer was answered. He was named the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year on Tuesday after a season in which he led the Phoenix Suns to their first postseason berth since 2009-10 with a 51-21 record, good for the second-best mark in the Western Conference.