On Monday, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was first to break the news that his head coach Monty Williams would be named the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year.
Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been voted the NBA’s COY, book tells sources. A formal announcement is expected later today.
— Book (@DevinBook) May 9, 2022
Just moments after the All-Star guard's tweet, The Athletic's Shams Charania confirmed Williams will take home the award.
The news doesn't come as much of a surprise after Williams led the Suns to the best record in the NBA at 64-18. Just one year after taking the Suns to the NBA Finals, Williams had Phoenix clicking on all cylinders as it cruised to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The Suns had the league's fifth-best offensive rating (114.2) and third-best defensive rating (106.8), leading to the best net rating (7.5) in the NBA this season.
The Suns went 32-9 at home and on the road – each of which was the best mark in the league. Their 32-9 road record was tied for the fifth-best in NBA history.
Phoenix established its dominance early when it went on an 18-game win streak after the first four games of the season. The Suns never looked back from that point, only losing back-to-back games twice for the remainder of the season.
With Williams at the helm, the Suns have quickly turned from a franchise that missed the playoffs for a decade straight to a perennial title contender for the foreseeable future. In beating out the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra and Memphis Grizzlies' Taylor Jenkins, Williams was rightfully crowned as the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year.
Below you can find every Coach of the Year winner in NBA history.
| Year | Coach | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Monty Williams | Phoenix Suns | 64-18 |
| 2021 | Tom Thibodeau | New York Knicks | 41-31 |
| 2020 | Nick Nurse | Toronto Raptors | 53-19 |
| 2019 | Mike Budenholzer | Milwaukee Bucks | 60-22 |
| 2018 | Dwane Casey | Toronto Raptors | 59-23 |
| 2017 | Mike D'Antoni | Houston Rockets | 55-27 |
| 2016 | Steve Kerr | Golden State Warriors | 73-9 |
| 2015 | Mike Budenholzer | Atlanta Hawks | 60-22 |
| 2014 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 62-20 |
| 2013 | George Karl | Denver Nuggets | 57-25 |
| 2012 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 50-16 |
| 2011 | Tom Thibodeau | Chicago Bulls | 62-20 |
| 2010 | Scott Brooks | Oklahoma City Thunder | 50-32 |
| 2009 | Mike Brown | Cleveland Cavaliers | 66-16 |
| 2008 | Byron Scott | New Orleans Hornets | 56-26 |
| 2007 | Sam Mitchell | Toronto Raptors | 47-35 |
| 2006 | Avery Johnson | Dallas Mavericks | 60-22 |
| 2005 | Mike D'Antoni | Phoenix Suns | 62-20 |
| 2004 | Hubie Brown | Memphis Grizzlies | 50-32 |
| 2003 | Gregg Popovich | San Antonio Spurs | 60-22 |
| 2002 | Rick Carlisle | Detroit Pistons | 50-32 |
| 2001 | Larry Brown | Philadelphia 76ers | 56-26 |
| 2000 | Doc Rivers | Orlando Magic | 41-41 |
| 1999 | Mike Dunleavy | Portland Trail Blazers | 35-15 |
| 1998 | Larry Bird | Indiana Pacers | 58-24 |
| 1997 | Pat Riley | Miami Heat | 61-21 |
| 1996 | Phil Jackson | Chicago Bulls | 72-10 |
| 1995 | Del Harris | Los Angeles Lakers | 42-40 |
| 1994 | Lenny Wilkens | Atlanta Hawks | 57-25 |
| 1993 | Pat Riley | New York Knicks | 60-22 |
| 1992 | Don Nelson | Golden State Warriors | 55-27 |
| 1991 | Don Chaney | Houston Rockets | 52-30 |
| 1990 | Pat Riley | Los Angeles Lakers | 63-19 |
| 1989 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Phoenix Suns | 55-27 |
| 1988 | Doug Moe | Denver Nuggets | 54-28 |
| 1987 | Mike Schuler | Portland Trail Blazers | 49-23 |
| 1986 | Mike Fratello | Atlanta Hawks | 50-32 |
| 1985 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee Bucks | 59-23 |
| 1984 | Frank Layden | Utah Jazz | 45-37 |
| 1983 | Don Nelson | Milwaukee Bucks | 51-31 |
| 1982 | Eugene Shue | Washington Bullets | 43-39 |
| 1981 | Jack McKinney | Indiana Pacers | 44-38 |
| 1980 | Bill Fitch | Boston Celtics | 61-21 |
| 1979 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Kansas City Kings | 48-34 |
| 1978 | Hubie Brown | Atlanta Hawks | 41-41 |
| 1977 | Tom Nissalke | Houston Rockets | 49-33 |
| 1976 | Bill Fitch | Cleveland Cavaliers | 49-33 |
| 1975 | Phil Johnson | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | 44-38 |
| 1974 | Ray Scott | Detroit Pistons | 52-30 |
| 1973 | Thomas Heinsohn | Boston Celtics | 68-14 |
| 1972 | Bill Sharman | Los Angeles Lakers | 69-13 |
| 1971 | Dick Motta | Chicago Bulls | 51-31 |
| 1970 | Red Holzman | New York Knicks | 60-22 |
| 1969 | Eugene Shue | Baltimore Bullets | 57-25 |
| 1968 | Richard Guerin | St. Louis Hawks | 56-26 |
| 1967 | John Kerr | Chicago Bulls | 33-48 |
| 1966 | Adolph Schayes | Philadelphia 76ers | 55-25 |
| 1965 | Red Auerbach | Boston Celtics | 62-18 |
| 1964 | Alexander Hannum | San Francisco Warriors | 48-32 |
| 1963 | Harry Gallatin | St. Louis Hawks | 48-32 |
