The Suns must replace Mike D'Antoni, who was hired this week by the New York Knicks.

Johnson has been Jazz coach Jerry Sloan's top assistant for 20 years. He is a graduate of Utah State and a former head coach at Weber State.

In 1974-75, after his Kansas City Kings finished with a 44-38 record and reached the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, Johnson was named the NBA's Coach of the Year.

Johnson is expected to talk to the Suns after the Jazz finish the playoffs, which could be as soon as tonight.

"We're going to make sure we cover our bases," Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr told reporters in Phoenix after D'Antoni resigned with two years and $8.5 million remaining on his contract.

"There's not a huge rush because we're not one of five or six teams out there looking for someone. So we don't feel like we're competing with other people."

Kerr added: "We have a veteran team and we have a chance to win big next year. . . . I think you need somebody with a presence, somebody the guys are going to respect. That's true with everybody, but particularly a guy like [Shaquille O'Neal], who has a big presence and a big personality and has won championships."

According to the Arizona Republic, Kerr plans to interview TV analyst Mark Jackson for the job on Friday or Monday. Another candidate is expected to be Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau.

Jackson spent 17 years as a point guard in the NBA, but he has no coaching experience.

On the other hand, Johnson has been coaching in the NBA almost continuously since 1971, when he left Weber State to become an assistant for Dick Motta in Chicago. At the time, Sloan played for the Bulls.

After serving as the Kings' head coach and returning to Chicago for another stint as an assistant with the Bulls, Johnson joined Frank Layden's staff in Utah on July 20, 1982.

He was rehired as head coach of the Kings early in the 1984-85 season, after the franchise had relocated in Sacramento. He held the job for almost three years before being fired again.

luhm@sltrib.com