Phoenix Suns add Valley Suns head coach to Jordan Ott's coaching staff
Little served as head coach of their G League team, the Valley Suns, during their inaugural season in 2024-25. The Valley Suns reached the 2025 G League playoffs under Little and advanced to the conference semifinals before losing to the eventual G League champion Stockton Kings.
Stockton is the Sacramento Kings' G League team.
Little has been in Las Vegas working as an assistant for the Suns' summer league team. Phoenix plays its final summer league game Saturday, July 19, against the Portland Trail Blazers at Cox Pavilion (6:30 p.m., NBA TV).
The Suns have Jesse Mermuys, DeMarre Carroll, Brian Randle, Chaisson Allen and Little on Ott's coaching staff with Mateen Cleaves serving as a player development coach.
Carroll has been the team's summer league head coach with Allen and Little on his staff. Ott, Randle and Mermuys have been in attendance, watching the games courtside.
A 2006 Northern Iowa graduate, Little played overseas for eight years as a guard. He returned to Northern Iowa and worked as a video coordinator for two years (2017-19).
He was on the Wisconsin Herd's coaching staff for four seasons (2019-23). The Herd are the Milwaukee Bucks' G League team. Little was an assistant there under Allen from 2021-23.
Little then joined the Maine Celtics as an assistant for one season (2023-24), helping the Boston Celtics' G League team earn the No. 2 seed and reach the 2024 G League finals.
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.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Valley Suns' John Little joins Ott's Phoenix Suns staff
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'We stand on what I said': Why FSU QB's shots at Alabama are exactly what the Noles need right now
The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. The worst way to hurt your rival isn't by showering hate on them, but by dismissing and disregarding them. What's worse than being hated? Being forgotten. Not so long ago, Florida State inspired fear and dread, those war drums heralding one of your season's worst beatdowns. But last season, the Noles morphed from terror into terrier, plummeting from a preseason top-10 ranking into the depths of a two-win nightmare. Advertisement It's tough to overstate the cascade of horrors that was Florida State's 2024 season. The Noles went 1-7 in conference play, their only win a grimy 14-9 survival against Cal. Their 2-10 record wasn't just their worst record as a school since 1974, it marked the first time in college football history that a program ranked in the preseason top 10 posted double-digit losses. The Seminoles' two primary rivals, Miami and Florida, more than doubled up Florida State, winning by a combined score of 67-25. The only player on the team to win a consensus All-American? Punter Alex Mastromanno. (He had plenty of opportunities to burnish his resume.) The Noles never really recovered from missing out on the final four-team playoff even after posting an undefeated 2023 season, watching in shock as Alabama jumped them for the final spot. Head coach Mike Norvell kept his job, likely thanks to the $65 million buyout provision he secured after Nick Saban's retirement, but most of FSU's top coordinators lost theirs. The one-year DJ Uiagalelei rental proved ineffective; injuries limited him to five games, and he lost four of those. Advertisement So Florida State has cleared the board. New coordinators, new quarterback, new season, new round of hopes and prayers. And they're flying into their season-opening matchup with teeth bared and knives out, exactly the way they ought to. New quarterback Tommy Castellanos struck the first spark back in June when he told On3 that he was stoked to face Alabama in the season opener. "I dreamed of moments like this," Castellanos said. "I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don't have Nick Saban to save them. I just don't see them stopping me." Yes. Yes. That's the good stuff there. Anything to light a fire under the moribund, 15.6-points-per-game Seminoles, a team that seemed to just give up before October last year. Plus, Alabama is a prime target for this sort of jab; outside of Florida State, the Tide have more to prove in Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer Era than almost any other program in the country. New Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos speaks during the ACC Football Kickoff. () (Matt Kelley via Getty Images) This week at ACC Kickoff , Castellanos — who transferred to Florida State after losing his starting job at Boston College — was asked about his Alabama comments. He politely but firmly doubled down. Advertisement 'We stand on what I said,' Castellanos said. 'But there's no disrespect between that team or anything like that. It's just the confidence that I have in my teammates and the way we've been preparing and putting this preparation together this offseason. I just feel confident in the guys and the work that we've been putting in.' At the ACC Kickoff, Norvell backed Castellanos, noting that words alone won't get the job done. 'We're not here to try to speak ourselves into a victory. We're trying to go earn a victory. You better show up every single day, and let's go be what we're capable of being,' he said. 'If we'll do that, the rest will take care of itself." Naturally, Alabama has responded to Castellanos' comments, largely by dismissing them as irrelevant summertime speak. But defensive lineman Tim Keenan III did offer up an ominous warning at SEC Media Days last week: 'The disrespect will be addressed.' Still, this is exactly what Castellanos and Florida State ought to be doing. It's the equivalent of pushing all-in with the smallest stack at the table. Chances are you're going to get whomped — Alabama is a 13.5-point favorite right now, per BetMGM — but hey, stack a couple wins here and there and before long you're back in the game. Advertisement "This is the old Florida State," Castellanos said this week . 'This is how grimy and tough we were. We wasn't scared of nobody. We were already talking smack and always putting fear in people's hearts. I just want to re-install what Florida State used to be and bring that standing and confidence and making people fear us." Nobody fears Florida State yet. But if Castellanos, Norvell and new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn can back up their attitude and their potential with a bit of fight, well … things can change fast in Tallahassee. Between Texas-Ohio State and LSU-Clemson, August 30 will be one of the finest football Saturdays of the year. Alabama-FSU falls right between those two, and it too will be a must-watch — which isn't something you could say about Florida State for quite awhile now.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jets' Aaron Glenn provides uncertain first injury update on Justin Fields
Justin Fields is hurt. The New York Jets aren't quite sure how bad it is yet. Head coach Aaron Glenn spoke with reporters not long after Fields was carted away from Jets practice on Thursday. The key points: Advertisement Fields has a toe injury on "the right side of his foot," Glenn said Glenn doesn't know the severity Glenn believes the toe was injured when another player stepped on it Glenn then spoke about backup Tyrod Taylor. "We have an outstanding backup in Tyrod, who's been in this league for around 14 years, so the leadership that he brings, we're all good," Glenn said. MORE: Micah Parsons risks temporary retirement, frozen contract if he leaves training camp The Jets just brought Fields in this offseason to be their new starting quarterback. They'll be hoping that everything is all OK and that it's just a late-July scare. But until more news comes out, there'll be an air of uncertainty hanging over the Jets' QB room. MORE NFL NEWS:
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
There are 5 first-time NFL head coaches this season and they each face distinct challenges
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn has been mapping out exactly how he wants to lead an NFL team for a few years. Before he was hired as the New York Jets' head coach in January, Glenn spent four seasons as the Detroit Lions' defensive coordinator and was empowered by coach Dan Campbell to make some crucial calls for the team off the field. 'He allowed me to actually act in the position of being the head coach,' Glenn said. 'To be able to do the calendar for the offseason, plan training camp out, be able to make decisions that he was supposed to make. "But he allowed me to make those decisions to get me ready to be in this position.' Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback during a 15-year playing career, is charged with trying to turn around the fortunes of a Jets franchise that has the NFL's longest playoff drought at 14 seasons. He opened training camp this week as one of five first-time head coaches in the league, joining Jacksonville's Liam Coen, Chicago's Ben Johnson, New Orleans' Kellen Moore and Dallas' Brian Schottenheimer. All five are long-time assistants who now each face distinct challenges and must balance the responsibilities of managing an entire roster and staff instead of focusing on one particular side of the football. Aaron Glenn, Jets Age: 53 Background: Jets' first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in 1994 out of Texas A&M. Played eight seasons for New York before three with Houston, two with Dallas and one each with Jacksonville and New Orleans. After retiring from playing, Glenn served as the general manager of the Houston Stallions of the indoor Texas Lone Star Football League in 2012 before being hired as a personnel scout with the Jets later that year. He then had stints as an assistant with Cleveland, New Orleans and Detroit. Task: He and new GM Darren Mougey focused on making the Jets' roster younger, parting ways with veterans such as QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams, LB C.J. Mosley, K Greg Zuerlein and P Thomas Morstead. Glenn, who considers his former coach Bill Parcells a mentor, spoke often during the offseason about changing the Jets' culture. Ending their long postseason drought will help and there's key foundational talent — WR Garrett Wilson, CB Sauce Gardner, RB Breece Hall, DT Quinnen Williams, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson — but the youth movement could temper some first-year expectations. Liam Coen, Jaguars Age: 39 Background: Played quarterback at UMass. Spent last season as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator before being hired by Jacksonville in January to replace the fired Doug Pederson. Coen had two stints with the Los Angeles Rams, including serving as Sean McVay's offensive coordinator in 2022. He also had college stops as an assistant at Brown, Rhode Island, UMass, Maine and Kentucky. Task: His awkward Jaguars intro — 'Duuuval' — went viral, but Coen was hired for his offensive prowess after he helped Baker Mayfield to the best season of his career with the Buccaneers. Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, has not yet fully lived up to expectations and that will be the focus for Coen, who'll call the plays, and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. Adding versatile No. 2 pick Travis Hunter to the offense (and defense) should help Lawrence and a franchise that has just one playoff appearance in the past seven seasons. Ben Johnson, Bears Age: 39 Background: A former backup QB at North Carolina, Johnson was Detroit's offensive coordinator the past three years and helped Jared Goff and the Lions lead the league in scoring last season. Johnson's path to the NFL began as an assistant at Boston College before seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He joined the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach and was retained by Campbell when he took over as coach in 2020, serving as the tight ends coach and then passing game coordinator before becoming the OC in 2022. Task: The Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft and Chicago is hoping Johnson will be able to develop the quarterback into a playmaking star. Williams showed promise while starting all 17 games, throwing for a franchise rookie-record 3,541 yard with 20 touchdown passes and six interceptions, but his 68 sacks led the league. Getting Williams to get rid of the ball faster and improve on his accuracy should help, so should GM Ryan Poles' trade acquisitions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to bolster the offensive line. Kellen Moore, Saints Age: 37 Background: A former backup quarterback with Detroit and Dallas over six NFL seasons, Moore was long considered a head coaching candidate during his stops as an offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles. In his only season in Philadelphia, he guided a high-scoring offense that powered the Eagles to the Super Bowl behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley. Task: Moore doesn't have the talent-rich roster he had last season. He also isn't quite sure who his quarterback will be after Derek Carr unexpectedly retired in May with a shoulder injury. The Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round and also have Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, who each started games last season. The offense has some talent with WR Chris Olave and RB Alvin Kamara, but the defense needs to improve after allowing the second-most yards rushing in the NFL. Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys Age: 51 Background: The son of the late Marty Schottenheimer was a bit of a surprise pick by Jerry Jones to replace Mike McCarthy as Dallas' coach. But the younger Schottenheimer has a lengthy resume in both the pros and at the college level, with stints as an offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams and Jets among them. Task: Schottenheimer will need to build an even better rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott, who played in only eight games last season because of a hamstring injury. The coach also made some headlines during the offseason when he said Prescott is still 'in the developmental phase' of his career and the team is tweaking some things with him. With Philadelphia still among the NFL's elite teams and Washington one of the league's most promising squads, Schottenheimer and the Cowboys will have a tough road to make the playoffs out of the NFC East. That's despite Jones saying he's 'excited about our team's ability to compete right now.' ___ AP NFL:
