Phoenix Suns coach candidate Chris Quinn helped Miami Heat stay together this season

The Miami Heat experienced one of their toughest seasons in recent memory.

Going 37-45, Miami suffered its first losing record since 2018-19.

The Jimmy Butler drama ultimately led to trading the star forward just two years removed from him leading the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals.

The Heat emerged from the play-in to make the playoffs as an eighth seed only to have the Cleveland Cavaliers sweep them in the first round. Miami lost Game 4 by 55 points, suffering the worst margin of defeat in a game to close a series.

Through it all, Chris Quinn remained steady.

League sources say the Heat’s associate head coach helped keep Miami together and made sure the team didn’t go “sideways.”

Now, Quinn is a head coach candidate for the Phoenix Suns, who also experienced a disappointing and drama-filled season that ended with just 36 wins and the firing of Mike Budenholzer after one season.

Cleveland Cavaliers assistants Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant, Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Suns assistant David Fizdale and Quinn are candidates for the job, league sources confirmed to The Arizona Republic this week.

Quinn has been an assistant under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra since 2015. He previously worked as an assistant for the Heat’s G League team, Sioux Falls Skyforce, in the 2014-15 season.

He also played three seasons for the Heat, with the first two under Pat Riley (2006-08) and the third one for Spoelstra (2008-09).

Quinn is Spoelstra’s “right hand man” when it comes to in-game adjustments, sources say. He has been in contention for NBA head coaching vacancies in recent years.

Quinn’s ability to connect with players is deemed impressive. He’s big on player development as evidenced by him leading the charge to have coaches available 24/7 for players to work on their game.

A Notre Dame graduate, Quinn played a role in the development of shooting guard Tyler Herro, who became a first-time All-Star for the Heat this season.

Herro averaged a career-high 23.9 points in his sixth NBA season out of Kentucky.

Quinn was a director of player development on the collegiate level at Northwestern before joining the Heat.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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