Mat Ishbia may be in Arizona these days, but he’s still relying on his Michigan State roots.
The former walk-on on MSU’s 2000 national championship team and owner of the Suns announced Friday that former Michigan State basketball assistant Brian Gregory has been named general manager.
“Brian has been a valuable member of our front office, playing an integral role in drafting and developing our young players,” Ishbia said. “I am excited for him to step in to the role of general manager. He is a brilliant basketball mind, and he will transform and elevate our team.”
Gregory first joined the front office in 2023, most recently serving as vice president of player programming where he oversaw player personnel and scouting that was instrumental in selecting Suns rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
He was as an assistant coach under Tom Izzo at Michigan State from 1999-03, helping the team to two Final Four berths and the 2000 NCAA Championship that Ishbia was a part of.
He served 19 seasons as an NCAA Division I men’s basketball coach, most recently at South Florida (2017-23). Gregory served as head coach at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and at the University of Dayton (2003-11), where he won the NIT Championship in 2010.
He is a graduate of Oakland University where he played basketball and was a three-year All-Conference honoree.
Gregory will face a challenging offseason in the desert after the Suns finished 36-46 (11th place) and missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Coach Mike Budenholzer was fired in April.
Ishbia, who is from Birmingham, is the billionaire CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage. He became the owner of the Suns in February 2023.
Fans have become increasingly critical of his ownership this season as Phoenix carried the highest payroll in the NBA with stars such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
But he has been praised by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who announced that Phoenix would host the NBA All-Star Game in 2027.
