On Dec. 20, 2021, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams was announced as an assistant coach for the 2022-24 USA National Team.
“I’m grateful to be able to represent my country in this way and overwhelmed that USA Basketball would invite me to be part of this journey,” said Williams. “I want to thank Grant Hill and Coach Kerr for entrusting me with this responsibility. Several of my proudest moments in basketball have come representing USA Basketball and it’s a blessing for my family and I to be a part of the program again. I am looking forward to the next chapter of USA Basketball and learning from the best players, coaches, and people in the game as we work for gold for the USA.”
In February, 2023, it was announced that Williams would step down from his National Team duties. Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue went on to replace Williams on the staff.
No newcomer to USA Basketball, Williams served as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team from 2013-2016. As a member of Mike Krzyzewski’s USA staff, Williams assisted the USA to a perfect overall record of 26-0, including gold-medal finishes at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Williams in 2022-23 enters his fourth season as Phoenix Suns head coach. His tenure features a Western Conference title and trip to the NBA Finals in 2020-21, which resulted in his peers recognizing him with the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award the same year.
Named the Suns head coach on May 3, 2019, he took over a team that had won 19 games in the prior season and has led the team to consecutive increases of at least 15 wins despite fewer games being played in each season. Improving by 15 wins in 2019-20 and 17 wins in 2020-21, the Suns became just the fifth team in NBA history to increase its win total by 15-plus games in successive seasons. Over the last 45 years, the Suns became just the third team to improve from a bottom two record to a top two record in two seasons or less.
In 2020-21, Williams led the Suns to the NBA’s second-best record and the team’s first Pacific Division title since 2007. He led Phoenix to a memorable 2020-21 playoff run in which the Suns won a franchise postseason record nine straight games on the way to the Western Conference title, the team’s first since 1993. Williams was recognized as the Western Conference Coach of the Month for March 2021, his second time winning the honor, and was runner-up in voting for 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year in addition to winning the award given by his peers in the NBCA.
Williams spent his first five seasons as a head coach with the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2010-11 – 2014-15), leading the team to two postseason appearances. In his first season, the Hornets won 46 games and Williams was the Western Conference Coach of the Month for January 2011 as he led New Orleans’ return to the playoffs.
Williams has totaled seven seasons as an NBA assistant coach, two seasons in a front office role, one season as a coaching intern and nine seasons as a player, giving him 26 years of NBA experience since first being drafted in 1994.
He completed his first season as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-19, helping the team to a 51-31 record and a berth in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Williams served as associate head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015-16, contributing to the Thunder’s trip to the Western Conference Finals, and spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2005-10, a stint that included two playoff appearances. He got his start in coaching as a coaching intern with the San Antonio Spurs for the 2004-05 season when the team won an NBA Championship. Before returning to the bench in 2018, Williams spent two seasons in the Spurs’ front office as vice president of basketball operations from 2016-18.
Williams was a nine-year NBA veteran as a player, averaging 6.3 points in 456 career games with New York, San Antonio, Denver, Orlando, and Philadelphia.
The 24th overall pick in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, Williams’ NBA career began after he earned honorable mention All-America honors at the University of Notre Dame for his senior season in 1993-94 when he averaged 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
At the 2017 NBA Awards, Williams was the recipient of the inaugural Sager Strong Award, an honor named for iconic Turner Sports sideline reporter Craig Sager presented annually to an individual who has been a trailblazer while exemplifying courage, faith, compassion, and grace.
He has five children – Lael, Faith, Janna, Elijah and Micah.
