GM on board, Suns can move forward with coaching search

Now that the Phoenix Suns have hired a general manager, attention will turn to selecting a head coach.

Lon Babby, who is the team’s president of basketball operations, said the move to bring Ryan McDonough on board does not necessarily mean interim head coach Lindsey Hunter has been eliminated from contention.

“Lindsey is still a candidate, very much so on the list,” Babby told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo Tuesday. “I wouldn’t pre-judge anything, but we’re going to have a search and we’re going to get started on that as quickly as we can.”

Babby said part of the interview process when it came to choosing a general manager involved gathering thoughts on the head coaching search, so from this point forward it’s safe to assume the organization is on board with whatever plan McDonough has for the role.

“I think we agree on the kind of people we want but I’m not going to prejudge it or comment on it now,” he said.

One thing Babby did comment on, though, was that the process of selecting a coach would involve many different voices, as it will be a collaborative effort between himself, McDonough and managing partner Robert Sarver.

“We will go through a process similar to the one that led us to hire Ryan, and he and I will vet the candidates and we’ll put together a list, and maybe a shorter list, and we’ll bring that person in and see how they interact with various facets of our organization,” he said. “One thing I feel very strongly about, going forward, is we all have to be aligned.”

Babby said that refers to ownership, the front office, the coaching staff, training staff and players, and is an area “where we definitely need to improve.”

“I need to make sure the person we bring in has the kind of broad support that Ryan has,” he said. “So it will be a collaborative process and ultimately we’ll make the right decision.”

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