The spirit of former Suns head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons will live on with an annual coaching award in his memory ? The Spirit of Cotton Award.  

The award, presented by Phoenix Suns Charities, will honor one high school coach who consistently demonstrates the best qualities of coach, leader, educator, mentor and community leader. These are the same elements that made Cotton Fitzsimmons such a successful and respected coach and teacher of life at every level of his distinguished career. All high school head basketball coaches in Arizona are eligible to be nominated.

?Cotton was an excellent coach, upstanding member of our community and passionate about the game,? said Suns Chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo. ?He is everything we would look for in a coach, so it is only fitting that we honor him with an award that celebrates those same admirable qualities.?