The Phoenix Suns have named Jordan Ott as the team’s head coach. Ott is a veteran basketball coach with nearly two decades of experience including 12 years in the NBA.
“Jordan embodies the culture of excellence and accountability we’re going to prioritize,” said Suns owner Mat Ishbia. “He is young, hungry and is ready to be an NBA head coach. His track record of developing players, fostering team chemistry, and his understanding of the game at the highest level are essential skills to how we are building for our future.”
He spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers under NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson where he helped the team to a 64-18 record and the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. Cleveland led the league in Offensive Rating by scoring 121 points per 100 possessions, the second-highest rating in NBA history. Ott also worked closely with Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley during his season in Cleveland, helping Mobley earn NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors and his first career All-NBA selection.
“After an extensive head coach search, Jordan’s leadership and basketball intellect consistently stood out, combining a brilliant mind as an offensive strategist with the blueprint to employ an aggressive defensive system,” said Suns general manager Brian Gregory. “A strong communicator with a relentless work ethic, he shares our vision of establishing a team identity rooted in toughness, accountability and a systematic approach to the game. Jordan attacks every day with the grit and competitiveness we need in a leader of our culture, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to Phoenix.”
“To be named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns is a dream come true, and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of leading this team,” said Ott, the 23rd head coach in Suns history. “I would like to thank Mat Ishbia, Brian Gregory and Josh Bartelstein for this incredible opportunity. My goal is to build a culture that across all levels – from coaches to players to support staff – will work hard every single day to put a product on the floor that makes our fans proud.”
Throughout his 12 seasons in the NBA, Ott’s teams have earned 10 playoff berths and compiled a 517-447 (.536) record. Prior to Cleveland, Ott served two seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers where he helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals in 2023. He was an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets for six seasons from 2016-22, helping the team reach the playoffs in each of his final four seasons in Brooklyn. Ott’s first NBA position came with the Atlanta Hawks where he spent three seasons as a video coordinator from 2013-16 and was part of the Hawks team that won a franchise-record 60 games in the 2014-15 season.
Ott has also served as head coach at NBA Summer League on three occasions, doing so with Cleveland in 2024, Los Angeles in 2022 and Brooklyn in 2021. As a member of the Cavaliers coaching staff this past season, Ott was head coach of the Candace’s Rising Stars team that competed in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. A native of McConnellsburg, Pa., Ott holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Penn State University where he worked for three years as a manager for the Nittany Lions men’s basketball team. He then spent two years as a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team at Michigan State University while earning his master’s degree, before spending five seasons as the video coordinator for the Spartans from 2008-13.
