Chances are you've heard by now, but former ISU great Jeff Hornacek was named head coach of the Phoenix Suns over the weekend. Hornacek played for the Suns from '86-'92 and made the only All-Star game of his career in that final season in the Valley of the Sun.
This will be Hornacek's first head job in the NBA, but he did spend the last few years as an assistant with the Utah Jazz. He'll have a few Iowa State connections on his roster in former Cyclones, Diante Garrett and that dirty, rotten traitor, Wesley Johnson.
The man that was affectionately and hilariously called "Horny", was a hot commodity and also reportedly drew interest from the Charlotte Bobcats. He signed a three-year deal with the Suns and it's believed that his ability to work with younger players in the developmental aspects of the game was the main reason he was such an attractive candidate. He'll get a chance to showcase that teaching ability as the Suns hold two first-round picks in this year's draft, including the fifth overall.
Phoenix finished with the worst record in the Western Conference at 25-57. The Suns also had one of the poorer offenses in the league, finishing in the bottom portion in most offensive categories, including turnovers, where they averaged the second most in the league.
Hornacek is the first former Cyclone to be named a head coach in the NBA and we at WRNL wish him the best of luck. Here's to hoping Horny has the same success on the sideline that he had as a player during his 14-year career.