Suns talking to Spurs Budenholzer

**MoSpur** · 06-03-2008

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...onald_s_7.html

June 02, 2008
Jeff McDonald: Suns come coach shopping
It's long been known that as soon as the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns would invite Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to interview for their head coaching vacancy.

It appears that interview will happen sometime this week, according to a report in the Arizona Republic. The newspaper reports that Terry Porter, a Pistons assistant and a former teammate of Suns GM Steve Kerr in San Antonio, was in Phoenix for a second round of interviews today. After Porter leaves, the team plans to bring in Budenholzer for his first sit-down with Phoenix brass.

Budenholzer, 38, has been with the Spurs 14 seasons, 12 as an assistant coach. He began with the club as a video coordinator in 1994. This season was his first as Gregg Popovich's lead assistant on the bench.

Earlier this season, in an interview with the Express-News, Budenholzer admitted becoming a head coach would be a dream come true.

"I would love to be a head coach at some point," Budenholzer said. "But I'm very, very happy where I am. I'll just be a great assistant coach for Pop, and whatever happens, happens. If it never happens, it won't kill me."

Popovich has already given Budenholzer a ringing endorsement for the job, saying his longtime assistant "would make a fine coach in the NBA,without a doubt."

"This is the time of year when people look to see if there's a situation that helps them advance their careers," Popovich said. "If we have someone who is in that situation, and gets some offers, we're always happy for them."

Budenholzer should have plenty of compe ion for the Phoenix job. The Suns' official web site lists 10 candidates. Of them, only Porter, Utah assistant Tyrone Corbin and Houston assistant Elston Turner are known to have been called back for second interviews, according to the Arizona Republic.