PHOENIX (AP) Frank Johnson was fired as coach of the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday after an 8-13 start to the season.

The Suns promoted assistant Mike D'Antoni, who was coach of the Denver Nuggets in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season and had a 14-36 record. He joined the Suns as an assistant last season after coaching Benneton Treviso to the Italian championship.

``Generally we were not content with where we were,'' said Bryan Colangelo, the Suns' president of basketball operations. ``We weren't necessarily content with the direction we were getting.''

Johnson replaced Scott Skiles as the Suns' coach late in the 2001-02 season, going 11-20 the rest of the way.

Last season, Johnson guided the team to a 44-38 record and a surprising playoff berth. The Suns lost to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

Phoenix just returned from a road trip on which it went 1-3, including a loss against the Orlando Magic _ a team that had dropped its previous 19 straight games.

Overall, the Suns have lost six of their last seven games, despite a roster that includes point guard Stephon Marbury, and forwards Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.

Stoudemire, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, is expected to miss the next month with a sprained left ankle.

The Suns' job was Johnson's first as a head coach in the NBA; he was an assistant for the team for five seasons.

Johnson played 10 seasons in the league for Washington, Houston and Phoenix, retiring from the NBA in 1994.