Suns cold in firing Hornacek

With the Phoenix Suns just having fired Jeff Hornacek as head coach, Chris Mannix of The Vertical is reporting that the team will most likely pursue former player Steve Nash to replace him.

The interim coach is expected to be one of two assistants, either Corey Gaines or Earl Watson. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the firing had not been announced.

During his time as head coach of the Suns, Hornacek’s teams compiled a 101-112 (.474) record, including a 14-35 (.286) mark this season. It only has worsened during the season with season-ending knee surgery for Eric Bledsoe and a groin injury to Brandon Knight to take out the team’s leading scorers and playmakers.

Hornacek was named the 16th head coach in franchise history on May 28, 2013. The team’s top free-agent acquisition, center Tyson Chandler, has battled injury problems and has not been the veteran help the team envisioned.

Hornacek survived a staff shakeup last month when assistants Mike Longabardi and Jerry Sichting were fired, but the lack of improvement since doomed the former Suns player. He was second in NBA Coach of the Year voting in his first season in 2013-14. But last season, the team slipped to 39-43. Phoenix drafted Nash 15th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, and he played as a backup point guard behind Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd in his first two seasons.