The Atlanta Hawks began their hunt for a new head coach on Tuesday, and the organization reportedly may already have six coaches on their radar to lead their staff next season.
Yesterday, the Atlanta Hawks made a major move that had been rumored for the last couple of months. With the team mired in a sub-.500 season and barely holding onto a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the organization fired head coach Nate McMillan after three and a half years with the franchise.
Related: Atlanta Hawks fired Nate McMillan, but the owner’s kid is real reason for dysfunction
For months there have been rumors of a schism between him and superstar Trae Young, as well as rumblings he pondered quitting before the new year. Yet, instead of trying to salvage this group of personalities, the Atlanta Hawks dismissed the 58-year-old and installed assistant Joe Prunty as the interim coach.
6 names in the running for Atlanta Hawks head coach job
Along with the news of Nate McMillan’s firing came reports of possible names the team is expected to speak with over the next few months, and the list includes former NBA head coaches and several established assistants.
Let’s take a look at the six coaches expected to be candidates for the job opening with the Atlanta Hawks.
Quin Snyder
In the original report on McMillan’s firing, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is a top candidate for the job, and that is understandable.
In eight seasons with Utah, Snyder posted a 372-264 record and reached the playoffs six times. If not for the Utah brass deciding they wanted to hit the reset button on the roster and start from scratch, Snyder would likely still be coaching a playoff-bound team in Utah this season. He was also an assistant with the Hawks during the 2013-2014 season.
Charles Lee
Wojnarowski also claimed that Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee would likely talk with the Hawks in the near future. The 38-year-old has been with the Bucks since 2018, and like Snyder has a past as an assistant coach with the organization. The Hawks gave him his first NBA coaching job in 2014.
Kenny Atkinson
Current Golden State Warriors assistant and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is reportedly another name in the running for the Atlanta Hawks job. While he had a sub .500 record during his time in New York, he is credited with bringing the team back to respectability before being forced out by star players on the roster with more influence. Atkinson also helped to develop several key players and is highly respected around the league.
Jordi Fernandez
Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez was with the Denver Nuggets for several seasons before joining his current organization. It is understandable why he is a popular coaching candidate after being a part of the Nuggets’ rise back to prominence and a part of the staff that has the Kings set to end their playoff drought in 2023.
Mitch Johnson
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson was one of several names (along with Fernandez) that were suggested by The Athletic as possible candidates for the Hawks job. The coach is only 36 and has been a part of the Spurs staff for the last four seasons. Being a part of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree at such a young age says a lot about his potential.
Miles Simon
The last name rumored to be in the running for the Atlanta Hawks head coach opening is the lead coach of the G-League South Bay Lakers Miles Simon. The 47-year-old took on the G-League job for the franchise after being part of the dismissed staff of former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. A staff that helped lead the team to an NBA Championship in the COVID bubble three years ago.