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Doug Haller

@doughaller.bsky.social
2K followers 196 following 173 posts

Senior writer at The Athletic based in Arizona.

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Reposted by Doug Haller
J.E. Skeets @jeskeets.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Amar'e Stoudemire will enter the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. Just about everyone saw the potential early on. @doughaller.bsky.social ✍️ nyti.ms/4z52bHg
nyti.ms
Tales of Amar’e Stoudemire: A Basketball Hall of Famer so good the Suns once had to hide him
Jerry Colangelo had made up his mind. He wanted Stoudemire. But he doubted he'd be available at No. 9. Until he and an agent hatched a plan.
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Suns After Dark @sunsafterdark.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
"It's one of those situations where I don't think you can separate the basketball part of it from the off-court part of it" @doughaller.bsky.social and @geraldbourguet.bsky.social gave their thoughts on the Miles Bridges trade on the pod: LISTEN: bit.ly/4awGtkR WATCH: bit.ly/445GUit
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David Ubben @davidubben.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Talked with a dozen HCs today about the Brendan Sorsby news. They're angry, confused and disillusioned. "Unbelievable." "F---ing crazy" "Egregious." "One of the worst things I’ve seen in 20 years of coaching.” Free story: www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...
nytimes.com
College coaches react to Brendan Sorsby court ruling: ‘What are we doing?’ (Gift Article)
One Power 4 athletic director told The Athletic their school would no longer consider scheduling Texas Tech in any sport.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Bob Horner and Jerry Maddox were Arizona State products. Both All-Americans. Both third basemen. Maddox was a rookie w/ the Braves when Horner made his straight-from-college MLB debut. His life changed. Horner’s did too. (Free access) ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/732...
nytimes.com
The story of Bob Horner’s first MLB game, and the last for an Arizona State teammate (Gift Article)
Bob Horner and Jerry Maddox were connected in many ways. Both ASU products. Both third basemen. One game set them on different paths.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Corbin Carroll is a triples machine. He has twice as many this season than any other MLB player. I asked former masters of the craft — George Brett, Lance Johnson, Brett Butler and others — about what makes this play, and Carroll, so special. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Corbin Carroll and the art of the triple, one of baseball’s most exciting moments
The Diamondbacks outfielder, who tripled twice Sunday, has led the NL in triples the past three seasons and is on pace to do so again.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
From Oklahoma City: I wrote about Devin Booker’s frustration, which was aimed at the officiating, but probably goes deeper. ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/722...
nytimes.com
Suns’ Devin Booker lashes out at refs after technical foul in Game 2 loss to Thunder (Gift Article)
Frustration has been building for the Suns star. Wednesday night, Booker finally let it out after Phoenix fell behind 2-0 in the series.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Jordan Ott has impressed in his first season, but the playoffs are a stiffer test for the first year Phoenix head coach. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Suns’ Jordan Ott has impressed in his first season, but the playoffs are another test
Ott has had a great first season in Phoenix. The playoffs are his next test. And this series will be incredibly difficult.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Jalen Green has his signature Suns moment, but the road to get there wasn’t easy ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...
nytimes.com
Jalen Green has his signature Suns moment, but the road to get there wasn’t easy
Green was the best player on the court, which is fascinating, because for so much of this season he has struggled to find his place.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 15/04/2026
From No. 1 to Mr. Irrelevant, Dane Brugler predicted all seven rounds and 257 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. ◽Cowboys move up ◽A whole bunch of Buckeyes ◽QB Ty Simpson a second-round pick Enjoy. www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...
nytimes.com
Full 2026 NFL mock draft: Dane Brugler predicts all 7 rounds and 257 picks
How will this year's NFL Draft play out? Our expert takes his best shot at predicting every pick.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Concerned about Randy Bennett’s age and the heavy lifting required at Arizona State? I talked with Todd Golden, Jock Landale and others about how Bennett will operate in Tempe. (Spoiler alert: They’re not.) 👇
nytimes.com
Why those close to Randy Bennett say the 63-year-old will thrive at Arizona State
Bennett took over a program coming off a two-win season. Over the next two decades, he turned the school into a mid-major power.
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Bruce Feldman @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Sunday Read: Who are the top 25 coaches in college football? Should Curt Cignetti have overtaken Kirby Smart for the top spot? Does Dabo belong in the top 10? Where do Lincoln Riley, Sark, Mario Cristobal & Lane Kiffin rank? www.nytimes.com/athletic/710...
nytimes.com
Power ranking college football’s top 25 coaches in 2026: Cristobal rises, Sarkisian stumbles
Many coaches debut, or re-emerge, on Feldman's rankings this year.
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CJ Moore @cjmoorehoops.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Tommy Lloyd credits last year’s Houston for inspiring this year’s build of Arizona’s juggernaut. “They kicked our ass in the last five minutes of both games.” Story on the endurance of a champion & how Arizona turned the page from Friday’s epic semis (free to read): www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...
nytimes.com
How Arizona became the most consistent team in college basketball — and a Big 12 champion (Gift Article)
After last season, Arizona built a roster designed to have depth and endurance. The final product never seems to have an off night.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
What’s it like covering Bobby Hurley? Probably not what you would expect. ⤵️
nytimes.com
What’s it like covering Bobby Hurley, the coach? Probably much different than you’d think
A question I've gotten often over the years: Is Bobby Hurley as big an a-hole in person as he seems during games? The answer: not at all.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Bobby Hurley is out at Arizona State. His time in the desert had highs and lows. And it was always eventful. ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/710...
nytimes.com
Bobby Hurley won’t return as Arizona State men’s basketball coach: Source
Arizona State suffered a huge loss in the second round of the Big 12 tournament on the heels of a disappointing season.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
After missing in the final seconds of a bad loss to the Bulls, Jalen Green stayed up until 2 am watching film, wondering what went wrong. Since then the struggling Suns guard has started to show encouraging signs. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Jalen Green’s first season with Suns hasn’t gone well, but that could be changing
As the playoffs inch closer, the Suns still work to find chemistry with Green and Green still works to find a rhythm. It’s not ideal.
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Jayna Bardahl @jaynabardahl.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Full story, with Mike LaFleur's impressions of Kyler Murray as an opposing coach in the NFC West www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...
nytimes.com
Cardinals' LaFleur has 'a lot of respect' for Kyler Murray, but QB's future is uncertain
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Jayna Bardahl @jaynabardahl.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said "all options are on the table," regarding the QB situation for 2026. "We've got (Murray), (Brissett) and (Slovis) all under contract. ... We're going to look at every avenue to improve, and we're going to continue to go through our process."
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
No other NBA head coach comes from a smaller place than the Phoenix Suns’ Jordan Ott. Locals like to say there are more cows living among them than people. I recently visited McConnellsburg, Pa., to learn about Ott’s roots, as well as the pride the community has in him. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Suns’ Jordan Ott grew up in small-town Pennsylvania. But his dreams were always big
No other NBA head coach comes from a place so small, a fact not lost on the locals who have followed every step of Ott’s journey.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
With March approaching, I talked with Arizona State's Bobby Hurley about his future, how he has changed as a coach and his 11 years at one of the country's tougher jobs. (gift link open) ⤵️
nytimes.com
‘I’m in my prime’: Bobby Hurley confronts uncertainty, reflects on 11 years at Arizona State
"Of course, I’m going to wonder, ‘When is that going to happen? What is this going to look like? What is my future going to look like?’’’
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Nice story or serious contender? That remains to be seen with the Phoenix Suns. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Suns have work to do to go from ‘nice story’ to ‘serious threat’ in the West
Phoenix could be a team that needs to rest at the All-Star break, or it could be one that has started to reach its ceiling.
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joevardon.bsky.social @joevardon.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Representing one of the greatest ironies in league history, Mychal Thompson, father of one of the greatest 3-point shooters ever, is one of a handful of players to have played at least one full NBA season and made only one 3 www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
nytimes.com
NBA Hall of Famers. A Splash Father. Inside the single 3-pointer club
Two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson only attempted 12 3-pointers his entire career. He made one. His son Klay has made 2,836 and counting.
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Dan Woike @danwoikesports.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
LeBron James spoke about retirement as candidly as he ever has Wednesday night. Good luck trying to figure out which way he’s leaning www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...
nytimes.com
LeBron James addresses retirement after Cleveland return: ‘When is it over?’
After getting teary-eyed during a pregame tribute, LeBron sounded at times like he was close to hanging it up. But he hasn't decided yet.
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Mike Vorkunov @mikevorkunov.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Who taped Bob Knight? Really enjoyed this @doughaller.bsky.social story on the secret behind the famous Knight rant recording www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
nytimes.com
Bob Knight’s epic Purdue rant is 35 years old. How it leaked remains a mystery
Knight's leaked 1991 locker-room rant has become part of college basketball lore. To this day, though, no one's quite sure who did it.
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Brendan Quinn @bfquinn.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
love a story where a treasure hunter pours everything into finding an answer to the most obscure item. here's a great one, courtesy of @doughaller.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
nytimes.com
Bob Knight’s epic Purdue rant is 35 years old. How it leaked remains a mystery
Knight's leaked 1991 locker-room rant has become part of college basketball lore. To this day, though, no one's quite sure who did it.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 27/01/2026
To this day, those within the IU community insist they don’t know how the 1991 rant got recorded and out into the public. @doughaller.bsky.social reached out to 40+ players, coaches, managers, staffers and others about the leaked audio. Here’s what they said: www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
nytimes.com
Bob Knight’s epic Purdue rant is 35 years old. How it leaked remains a mystery
Knight's leaked 1991 locker-room rant has become part of college basketball lore. To this day, though, no one's quite sure who did it.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
35 years ago, Bob Knight’s epic “I’m tired of losing to Purdue” rant was secretly recorded in the IU locker room. For years an NBA exec has been rumored as the leaker. He says that’s a lie. So who did it? Even those in the room say they aren’t sure. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Bob Knight’s epic Purdue rant is 35 years old. How it leaked remains a mystery
Knight's leaked 1991 locker-room rant has become part of college basketball lore. To this day, though, no one's quite sure who did it.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 20/01/2026
NEWS: Warriors forward Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL against the Heat on Monday night and is expected to miss the rest of the season, The Athletic confirms. More from @samamick.bsky.social ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Had fun with this ⤵️
nytimes.com
Indiana’s rise is causing an identity crisis: Are we a football or basketball school?
For decades, Indiana has been known for basketball. But over the last two years, that has started to change.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 16/01/2026
We asked over 100 people in sports which leaders they most admire. For this list, leaders had to be an active coach, player or executive in 2025.
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The -30- Newsletter @30newsletter.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
New issue of is out! It has more than 125 job and internships listings in there for reporters, editors, social media gurus, and others. Also, 11 wonderful stories I loved — on Santa, the Taylor Ham dynasty, Franzia wines, and many more. Read: dub.sh/DfQyUsT Subscribe: t.co/tKOtcPQaI2
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
“I’m tired of the sleeping giant narrative. I’m tired of the concept of, ‘Man, they have so much potential.’ I want us to be the group — athletic department, coaching staff, fan base, community — that wakes it up once and for all.” ⤵️
nytimes.com
Kenny Dillingham’s new contract shows Arizona State is tired of ‘sleeping giant’ narrative
Dillingham said he never doubted the agreement would get done, which suggests his interest in Michigan may not have been that strong.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Kenny Dillingham’s Michigan situation puts Arizona State back in familiar place ⤵️
nytimes.com
Kenny Dillingham’s Michigan situation puts Arizona State back in familiar place
In three years, Dillingham has gone from unproven head coach to one of the nation’s more respected program builders. Others have noticed.
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Bruce Feldman @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
“The way you handle things is who you are. It’s not about what you say when things aren’t serious. It’s about whenever the (expletive) hits the (expletive), who are you?” Good story from Oxford on Lane Kiffin by Joe Rexrode & Chris Kamrani: www.nytimes.com/athletic/687...
nytimes.com
What Lane Kiffin left behind in Oxford: The sound and fury of an Ole Miss fan base scorned
Kiffin's latest job change echoes his previous exits across the country, complete with a gaslighting of fans who once helped build him up.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham discussing pay raise amid interest from other schools ⤵️
nytimes.com
Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham discussing pay raise amid interest from other schools
Dillingham has been linked to coaching jobs at Michigan, LSU and more, but he said he doesn't want to leave the Sun Devils.
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Jayson Stark @jaysonst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
“Do Pete's statistics say that he should be in? Yeah. But I think character has a lot to do with it.” He’s 2 years away from his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot. So is baseball ready for Pete Rose, Hall of Famer? @TylerKepner.bluesky.social and I wrote about that! www.nytimes.com/athletic/688...
nytimes.com
Is baseball ready for Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame? Surveying people in the game
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Fred Katz @fredkatz.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
We polled 36 executives around the NBA, asking them to rank their top five front offices. Here are our findings: www.nytimes.com/athletic/686...
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 08/12/2025
We are 28.8 percent of the way through the NBA regular season. So it’s time for our writer, Law Murray, to grade teams based on their progress so far.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
A Trey McBride story you may not have heard. “He’d call me up, and we’d have this relationship, and it was like, ‘You know, this is silly. We should get to know each other.” One tight end from Fort Morgan, Colo., helping another. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride’s path to stardom began with a hometown mentor
"He was the guy from my hometown who made it. Everything he did, I wanted to do, and I think that's a huge reason why I'm here."
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
I wrote about Dillon Brooks and his old mates. ⤵️
nytimes.com
Suns’ Dillon Brooks irritates everyone, his former Rockets teammates included
In the midst of a career year, Brooks still brings the "invaluable" skill of the guy you love to see on the court — if he's on your team.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Sam Leavitt’s possible transfer from Arizona State an all-too-familiar loyalty lesson for fans ⤵️
nytimes.com
Sam Leavitt’s possible transfer from Arizona State an all-too-familiar loyalty lesson for fans
This isn't shocking. It’s how top players, especially quarterbacks, figure out their worth. But it would be another sting to ASU fans.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 18/11/2025
If you watch Holly Rowe’s work on ESPN, you know one thing: She exudes joy. So @rustindodd.bsky.social reached out to her with a simple question: What has she learned about joy? @sportsiren.bsky.social
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
I returned to Bloomington and covered an Indiana football game for the first time since I was a student there 30 years ago. I was amazed at what I found. ⤵️
nytimes.com
I covered an Indiana football game for the first time in 30 years – and I was amazed
Last season's run to the CFP was hard to understand. Perhaps a fluke. But the unbeaten Hoosiers are doing it again.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
I wrote about one possession last night that symbolizes this young Suns season — 10 passes, few dribbles. And, of course, it ended in a Grayson Allen 3-pointer. ⤵️
nytimes.com
For Suns, one possession, 10 passes and a key trait in a surprising start
Winners of five of their last six games, the Suns are starting to find themselves. And their unselfishness is a strength.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Kyler Murray’s uncertain present, and the Cardinals’ uncertain future at QB ⤵️
nytimes.com
Kyler Murray’s uncertain present, and the Cardinals’ uncertain future at QB
Murray might have played his last game in the desert — if so, the Cardinals are looking for a long-term solution again.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Emari Demercado made one of football’s most ‘boneheaded’ mistakes. Here’s how he got past it. Link: www.nytimes.com/athletic/678...
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 06/11/2025
From @theathletic.com: Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland died Thursday morning, the team shared in a statement. Kneeland, 24, was in his second season with the team after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
nyti.ms
Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland dies at 24, team says
Kneeland, 24, was in his second season with the team after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Chris Vannini @chrisvannini.com · 05/11/2025
I'm starting a weekly coaching carousel notebook on intel I'm hearing + interesting nuggets. This week: - Agents don't buy the Louisiana gov's bluster - Latest at Florida State - Some names at Colorado State - Another Cignetti raise? And a lot more: www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...
nytimes.com
LSU settles down, Dabo Swinney heats up and the latest in college football’s coaching carousel
With LSU's president and AD now in place, the focus can turn back to the coaching search. Plus, contract quirks at Indiana and Kent State.
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Doug Haller @doughaller.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Suns coach Jordan Ott has taken over a rebuilding team in the desert, one that still isn’t sure what it can do and what it cannot. Sunday’s defense against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was an encouraging sign. 🔗⤵️
nytimes.com
How Suns limited Victor Wembanyama and handed Spurs their first loss
The Suns are still trying to figure out what they can and cannot do. Sunday's win was a good step.
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