Phoenix, AZ (Best E Casino) - The Phoenix Suns introduced their new head coach, Terry Porter, on Monday.

Porter, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Flip Saunders in Detroit, inked a three-year deal to mentor the Suns.

"I can't tell [you] how pleased I am," Porter said. "I am very excited to be taking over this team. I look forward to getting to know the players and helping them get better. There is great tradition here and we have a good mix of veterans and young players on hand."

Porter, a Milwaukee native, coached his hometown Bucks for two seasons, leading the club to an improbable playoff run in his first season (2003-04). However, after a disappointing 30-52 campaign the next season, Porter was let go and went to work with the perennial contending Pistons.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr and Porter were teammates for two seasons in San Antonio, Porter's last stop during an underrated playing career.

"We put together an expansive list of candidates," Kerr said. "In the end no one was more qualified than Terry Porter. When all was said and done, Terry was the guy."

The 45-year old spent his first 10 seasons as a player with the Portland Trail Blazers before catching on with Minnesota, Miami and the Spurs to finish out his 17-year career. The two-time All Star played in 1,274 games, including two appearances in the NBA Finals (1989-90, 1991-92) and ranks 11th on the league's all-time assist list (7,160).

He replaces Mike D'Antoni, who parted ways with Phoenix to take on the daunting task of heading the New York Knicks. D'Antoni led the Suns to a 232-96 regular-season mark over the past four years, but the club never made it past the Western Conference finals. D'Antoni led the Suns to a 55-27 record this past season before Phoenix was ousted by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.