Suns name Canadian Jay Triano interim head coach after firing Earl Watson

PHOENIX — Canadian men’s national team head coach Jay Triano is back in charge of an NBA team, at least for now.

The Phoenix Suns fired head coach Earl Watson on Sunday night after hours of meetings at the team’s headquarters and replaced him with Triano on an interim basis.

Triano, from Tillsonburg, Ont., had been serving as an associate coach with Watson.

The 59-year-old Triano was head coach of the Toronto Raptors from 2008-2011, compiling an 87-142 record while becoming the first Canadian-born head coach in NBA history.

Triano joined the Suns’ staff as associate head coach in the summer of 2016 after being an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Phoenix is 0-3 to start the season.

— With files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press