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| | Sunday, December 19 | |||||
| PHOENIX -- John MacLeod, coach of the Phoenix Suns for 13½ seasons in the 1970s and '80s, returned to the team on Saturday as the top assistant to new coach Scott Skiles.
"It's always nice to be wanted, and I'm kind of in between jobs
right now, so this is going to work out very well for me," said
MacLeod, who was fired as coach at Notre Dame after last season.
"I don't have the desire to embark on a long-term assistant
coaching career, but this is a special situation."
MacLeod was coach of the Suns from 1973 until midway through the
1986-87 season, compiling a 579-543 record. He later coached the
Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks and has an overall NBA record
of 707-657, ranking 10th on the league's list of coaching
victories.
He recently moved back to the Phoenix area, and Skiles said
MacLeod was the first candidate he thought of when he found out
that he would be succeeding Danny Ainge as coach. Ainge resigned on
Monday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
"What I have had the opportunity to do twice -- be a head coach
for two games -- John's done over 1,300 times," Skiles said. "He's
somebody I've always admired from afar and it made perfect sense to
me."
MacLeod, 62, had hesitated to take the job because he wants
another shot at being an NBA coach.
"John has been a head coach his entire career, at least in the
NBA," Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said. "Here he is taking on a
special assignment. I think it would only spell good things for the
Phoenix Suns."
MacLeod will carry the title of special assistant coach. His
specific duties will evolve with time, Skiles said.
"Basically, just to tell me whatever he thinks at all times,"
Skiles said. "During the games, before practice, after practice,
after the games, on the plane -- whenever. I don't want to
categorize him. I want him to be able to tell me whatever he thinks
at all times."
MacLeod said it was "a big decision to move from a head coach
to assistant coach. But you know this is a special situation. We
don't have to move. We get to stay in the same city. We're joining
a franchise, an organization and a team that's quality. So that is
to me very, very important. There are a lot of positives in the
mix.
"When I looked at everything, took the yellow pad out and took
the pros and the cons, certainly the pros outweighed the cons. This
is a special situation for me to lend my expertise and experience
and to be a sounding board for Scott, to help him and the team in
anyway that he might think possible." | ALSO SEE Gugliotta home for 30th birthday, two days after seizure Kidd has second triple-double in as many nights MacLeod in line to be new Suns assistant to new coach Skiles Ainge resigns as Suns coach; Skiles takes over Skiles brings no-nonsense approach to new job  | |||||