Serbian Igor Kokoskov will become the NBA's first head coach born outside North America after agreeing to a deal with the Phoenix Suns.
The Utah assistant will join the Suns at the of the Jazz's playoff campaign.
"Igor has been a pioneer throughout his basketball career and he brings a wealth of high-level coaching experience to our club," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said on Wednesday in a statement.
"He was one of the first non-American born assistant coaches at both the NCAA and NBA levels and his most recent head coaching stint includes leading the Slovenian national team to the 2017 EuroBasket title.
"Igor's teams have always had a player development focus, a creative style of play and a track record of success."
Kokoskov, 46, will replace Jay Triano, Phoenix's interim coach for most of 2017-18, after the Suns had fired Earl Watson three games into the season.
Kokoskov has spent 18 years as a NBA assistant, including the past three with the Jazz, after stints with the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers.
He also coached the Georgian national team from 2008-15 and the Slovenian team in 2016-17, leading them to a gold-medal finish and perfect 9-0 record at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 for the country's first European championship.
