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	Tuesday, December 14 Suns talking with their former coach
	Associated Press
	PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are talking with their former coach, John MacLeod, about becoming an assistant to new coach Scott Skiles. "I think there's a good chance it will happen," Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said before Skiles made his debut Tuesday night when his team played the Detroit Pistons. MacLeod, fired as coach at Notre Dame after last season, recently moved back to the Phoenix area. He coached the Suns from 1973 to 1986 and has indicated he wants to get back to a coaching job in the NBA. Being an assistant to the 35-year-old Skiles could be a first step in doing just that. "I've had a couple of conversations with John," Skiles said. "We had a conversation a couple of days ago and I talked to him again last night. I'm not quite sure where it stands right now, but I'm definitely interested. He's my first choice." Skiles was lead assistant to coach Danny Ainge for just over two seasons. He became coach on Monday when Ainge resigned. Ainge said he stepped down to spend more time with his wife and six children. Colangelo denied continuing speculation that Ainge was forced out. He said there was no financial settlement with Ainge because it was a resignation, not a firing. "He's not being paid," Colangelo said. He also denied a published report that Skiles had held private meetings with Colangelo and his son, Suns president Bryan Colangelo, to talk about concerns about Ainge's performance. Skiles also said there was no truth to that report. Ainge, 40, insisted that his sole reason for leaving the job was his belief that he was not giving his family the attention it deserved. The Suns' Tom Gugliotta also said there was nothing going on behind the closed doors of the locker room to believe that Ainge was so fed up with the team that he would quit. He said things were not perfect, but the team was 13-7 "and we had a chance to get better." Colangelo emphasized that Skiles is not the interim coach. "This is his team," Colangelo said. "This is his opportunity." Colangelo would not commit, however, to Skiles filling the job beyond this season. "We'll talk about that at the appropriate time," Colangelo said.		ALSO SEE Ainge resigns as Suns coach; Skiles takes over Skiles brings no-nonsense approach to new job AUDIO/VIDEO  Scott Skiles says the Suns will play hard. avi: 1409 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1