Suns fire Igor Kokoskov after 1 season

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have fired coach Igor Kokoskov after one season.

The team announced Kokoskov’s firing in a statement Monday night.

A longtime NBA assistant, Kokoskov was the first European-born head coach in NBA history when Phoenix hired him to replace interim coach Jay Triano in 2018.

The Suns, despite adding No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Deandre Ayton, went 19-63 in Kokoskov’s only season in the desert, worst in the Western Conference.

Phoenix had a franchise-worst 17-game losing streak in 2018-19 and became the first team in the shot-clock era (1954-55) to be held under 10 points in the first quarter of consecutive games.

The Suns recently removed the interim tag from James Jones, naming him full-time general manger.

Kokoskov’s firing leaves Phoenix searching for its fifth head coach in five seasons.