| | Associated Press
PHOENIX -- Scott Skiles, who took over as coach of the
Phoenix Suns in early December and guided the team to the
fifth-best record in the NBA, signed a five-year contract Tuesday
to remain with the team.
Terms of the deal weren't announced, but it is believed to be
worth about $2.5 million a year.
"He's already established himself as someone who is totally
focused, totally committed, passionate about his job as a head
coach in the NBA," Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said. "If you were
to talk to people around the NBA, they would all say that one of
the bright young coaches in our industry is Scott Skiles."
Skiles, 36, admitted he thought about looking elsewhere,
including the Indiana Pacers' coaching job. He led his high school
to the Indiana state championship in 1982, scoring 39 points in the
final, and still owns a home there.
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind," Skiles said,
"but a lot of things cross my mind all the time. I like it here.
There was no reason to do anything else. There is really nothing
here I don't like. I like the organization. I like the players. I
like the city. I really feel like it's a place where I can do the
job the way I think it needs to be done."
Skiles, a former Michigan State star who played 10 seasons in
the NBA and holds single-game assist record with 30, was hired as
an assistant coach in Phoenix in 1997 and took the head coaching
job when Danny Ainge abruptly resigned on Dec. 13, saying he wanted
to spend more time with his family.
Going into Tuesday night's game against Houston, the Suns were
39-21 under Skiles and a half-game ahead of San Antonio in the race
for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. Despite the loss of
Jason Kidd and Tom Gugliotta to serious injuries, Phoenix is 23-9
since the All-Star break, third-best in the league.
But Colangelo said the record had nothing to do with giving
Skiles the long contract. He said he likes the young coach's
no-nonsense approach.
"What I saw and what I really appreciated is the way the
players responded to him in a very positive way," Colangelo said.
"I saw mutual respect. It was all business. ... I like his
intensity. I like the fact he gets in a few people's faces from
time to time, players, officials, whatever. Somehow something tells
me he's containing himself a little when he's out there, too,
holding back a little bit."
Skiles got the team to play tough defense, hardly a trademark of
the Suns in the past.
Forward Cliff Robinson said Skiles deserved the contract.
"He's fun to play for," Robinson said. "Anytime you play for
someone who is going to be straight with you, not tell you stuff
just to make you feel good, I think in the long run you're going to
respect that person more than if he was someone who couldn't be up
front with you."
Despite speculation that Skiles would move elsewhere, general
manager Bryan Colangelo said the talks had been progressing but had
promised not to comment on them until a deal was done.
Skiles said it took so long mainly because he has a tendency to
over-analyze everything. But he came to the conclusion that he had
the best coaching job in pro sports.
"It's a dream come true for me," he said. "It's been printed
many times. This is what I've always wanted to do."
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