"Bunch of bums” - NBA fans in splits as Phoenix Suns new HC Mike Budenholzer to let go of old coaching staff

The Phoenix Suns wasted no time appointing Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach replacing Frank Vogel, and inking him to a five-year, $50 million deal. The former Milwaukee Bucks HC led the side to their title in 2021 and spent five seasons with the side before Doc Rivers replaced him.

The arrival of the newly minted coach also saw all of Vogel's assistant coaching staff being let go. This had fans in splits as they shared their two cents on the Suns' latest move.

One of the fans minced no words, calling the lot "bums".

"Bunch of bums"

Fans also remembered that former LA Lakers HC Darvin Ham was Budenholzer's assistant coach during their time with the Bucks. @jcrsm_2195 wrote:

"Darvin Ham as assistant coach"

@robbyshchultz0 said:

"Bud cleaning house"

@amrsfeed had an interesting question:

"How do you even evaluate if the assistant coaches did their job well or not"

Sarcasm wasn't far behind as one of the fans, @playx2xwin remarked:

"Thank you for the interesting development"

@suncawy said:

"There was rumors that if Vogel wanted to keep his job, he would’ve had a whole new staff of assistants anyways, so either way they were going to lose their jobs."

Mike Budenholzer didn’t coach anywhere in the league this past season after his ouster, but he was widely considered a top candidate for multiple teams in the offseason. According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, he had been working to assemble a coaching staff for his next job in recent weeks leading up to his new role.

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Mike Budenholzer's statement after being appointed as Phoenix Suns head coach

Taking over his new role as the Phoenix Suns head coach, Mike Budenholzer issued a statement saying:

"I am honored to be named head coach of the Phoenix Suns, the team I grew up watching. I would like to thank Mat Ishbia, Josh Bartelstein, and James Jones for the opportunity to lead this team.

I’m grateful to have a talented roster of players who are ready to compete and play a style of basketball that will bring out the best in all of them, and bring them together as we compete for championships.”

The 54-year-old, who hails from Northern Arizona, will now replace Vogel in Phoenix. The Suns fired Vogel on Thursday after just one stint with the team. The Suns went 49-33 under his leadership but were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.

Mike Budenholzer is the third head coach in Phoenix in as many seasons after Monty Williams and Vogel. He’ll face the challenge of turning around a franchise with stars in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.