Candidates to become the new coach of the Atlanta Hawks: Quin Snyder, Kenny Atkinson...
With Nate McMillan’s time now over in Atlanta, the Hawks are on the hunt for a new coach. These are the candidates who are currently at the top of the list.
Following the dismissal of their head coach, there are now three main candidates in contention for the job of head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. The question is, which of them best fits a team that’s in need of a new direction and more over one that has ambitions of returning to greatness.
The Atlanta Hawks say goodbye to Nate McMillan
As you will surely know by now, the Atlanta Hawks announced their decision to part ways with head coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday. The announcement of course, brought to an end a two-year run with McMillan in charge and now leaves the team in need of a new coach.
“I would like to thank Nate for his leadership and professionalism during his time with the Hawks,” GM Landry Fields said in a statement. “He is truly a class act, and we appreciate the graciousness and work ethic he brought with him every day. Decisions like these, especially in-season, are always extremely difficult, but we believe it’s in the best interest of our team to move forward with another voice leading the way.” To be clear, reports indicate that assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over as interim head coach, however, the franchise is now actively looking for a long-term replacement.
Who will replace Nate McMillan as Hawks head coach?
According to reports, there are in three main attributes that the Hawks are looking for in McMillan’s successor: player development, accountability and improving the team on both sides of the ball. Currently ranked 16th in offensive rating and 21st in defensive, it’s clear the team is in need of change. It is understood, that the team is conducting a “wide-ranging search,” however, there are in fact three names that have already been mentioned as the prime candidates in line to get the job: Quin Snyder, Charles Lee and Kenny Atkinson. Let’s take a look at each one.
Quin Snyder
During his eight-year tenure (2014-22) in Utah, Snyder quite literally transformed the Jazz into one of the Western Conference’s best teams. Indeed, following years as an underachiever, the Jazz finished the 2020-21 season with a league-leading 52-20 record. Clearly an offense-oriented coach, he’s also got a knack for player development. Consider for a moment that both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert became All-Stars for the first time on his watch. There’s also Jordan Clarkson won Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. This is all to say, that we imagine Hawks star Trae Young would endorse the move.
If there are any downsides to Snyder, the first would be that he hasn’t coached in the NBA since he resigned as the Jazz’s head coach last summer. The second, is the fact that he never did manage to lead the Jazz to true success. Truth be told, the best he managed to achieve for the franchise was a Western Conference Semifinal appearance.
Charles Lee
Given what he’s been part of, as assistant coach with the Bucks in the last few years, it just makes sense that Lee’s name has been floated in connection with a head coaching job recently. This of course, brings us to the now vacant post in Atlanta. Incidentally, Lee will be a familiar face for Hawks fans having previously served as assistant coach alongside Mike Budenholzer for four years (2014-2018). As you will know, he followed Budenholzer to Milwaukee and has been there since.
Known for being a “players’ coach,” Lee has been key in the development of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as other Bucks stars like Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. Add to that, the fact that Lee is just 38 and you’ve got one of the most sought-after young coaches in the league.
Kenny Atkinson
The last candidate mentioned in reports is the Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. An experienced NBA coach, who previously spent more than three years at the helm of the Nets between 2016 and 2020, Atkinson was the man behind taking Brooklyn from the league’s worst record (20-62) in his first season, to a playoff berth and a 6th place finish in the Eastern Conference just two years later. In March of 2020, he stepped down at which point current head coach, Jacque Vaughn, took over.
Since his time in Brooklyn, he has been assistant coach to Ty Lue in Los Angeles with the Clippers, as well as the same for Steve Kerr and the Warriors, his current position. Interestingly, recent reports suggested that he was offered the head coach position with the Charlotte Hornets this past offseason, however, he turned it down in favor of remaining in the Bay Area. Could it be that Atlanta is able to pry him away? Watch this space.