ESPN REPORT: The Hawthorn Football Club head coach is being fired due to…
According to sources who spoke to ESPN, the Atlanta Hawks dismissed coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday, opening the door for a quick search that will begin with Quin Snyder, the front-runner.
Assistant Joe Prunty was named the Hawks’ interim coach on a team that is 29-30 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. However, sources stated that new general manager Landry Fields will start looking for the team’s next coach as early as Tuesday.
Although McMillan and the Hawks were anticipated to part ways in the offseason, sources claimed that ownership and management chose to make the decision right away in order to salvage a postseason run and begin the search for the team’s next coach.
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This is the Hawks’ second major leadership shift of the year. Fields assumed the role of chief basketball decision-maker for the team on December 21 following the resignation of Travis Schlenk, president of basketball operations.
According to insiders, two other candidates who are anticipated to be considered are Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee. Snyder also has experience as an assistant coach for the Hawks under Mike Budenholzer.
Under Snyder’s direction, the Utah Jazz made six straight trips to the Western Conference playoffs, three of which were to the conference semifinals. After the 2021–22 season, Snyder, 56, resigned, and this summer, he is likely to be at the top of many teams’ lists of candidates.
Atlanta has a lot of off-season decisions to make about how to assemble the team, and the Hawks may be able to see the team more clearly in the future if they can move swiftly to find a new coach. According to insiders, Fields is looking for a coach who can elevate the team’s player development and responsibility, propel them into the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rankings.
According to sources, Fields has placed a strong emphasis on defining what a Hawks player will be internally and wants this coaching search to aid in forming those traits.
Prunty will serve as an interim coach for the time being, marking his second stint in that role. In the 2018 regular season, Prunty was 21-16 with the Bucks after taking Jason Kidd’s place. In the first round of the playoffs, they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series.
In 2021, McMillan took over as interim coach when Lloyd Pierce was fired, and he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals. He was given a four-year deal and led the team to a 99-80 record. This season, the Hawks rank 16th in terms of offensive efficiency and 21st in terms of defensive efficiency.
