Monty Williams

Lore & Background

Williams was head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans from 2010 to 2015. He was an assistant coach with the U.S. national team under Mike Krzyzewski and worked as vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs. In 2021 he led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2022. After being dismissed by Phoenix in 2023, he coached the Detroit Pistons for one season.

Reader's Guide

Williams was born October 8, 1971, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He attended Potomac High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. He played college basketball at Notre Dame as a small forward, averaging 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds as a senior. He was drafted 24th overall by the New York Knicks in 1994. His NBA playing career included stints with the Knicks, Spurs, Nuggets, Magic, and 76ers. He retired in 2003 due to chronic knee problems. His coaching career began as an intern with the Spurs in 2005, then as an assistant with the Trail Blazers. He became head coach of the New Orleans Hornets in 2010. He later served as associate head coach of the Thunder, lead assistant with the 76ers, head coach of the Suns, and head coach of the Pistons.

Did You Know?

• Williams was the youngest head coach in the NBA at age 38 when hired by the New Orleans Hornets in 2010.
• His first wife, Ingrid, died in a car crash in Oklahoma City in 2016.
• He won an NBA championship as a coaching staff intern with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
• He led the Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins in the 2021–22 season.