The Atlanta Hawks have been without a coach ever since the team and coach Mike Budenholzer parted ways roughly two weeks ago. Finding that next coach is a clear priority and the Hawks seem to be getting closer to finding Budenholzer’s replacement.
According to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Hawks have trimmed their list of favorites for the coaching vacancy to four names. The ones to watch are Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Nate Tibbetts, Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas and Boston Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga, writes Cunningham:
The Hawks have narrowed their head coaching search down to four candidates, according to a person with knowledge of the team’s plans.
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Tibbetts already has met with Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler and Pierce could do so soon. Silas and Larranaga also remain in the running for the job, according to the person with knowledge of the team’s search.
ESPN reported that Ressler is set to interview Pierce early this weekand that a strong meeting “will likely catapult him into a job offer.” A person with knowledge of the Hawks’ plans said Pierce is a strong candidate but added that a meeting with Ressler has yet to be officially set up and that it’s premature to elevate his candidacy above the other three coaches.
Pierce was a Warriors assistant during the 2010-11 season, when Hawks GM Travis Schlenk was a front-office executive with the team. Silas was a Golden State assistant from 2006-10, when Schlenk was a Warriors video scout and assistant coach.
The Hawks were 24-58 in 2017-18, which was the worst record in the Eastern Conference and marked Atlanta’s lowest win total since a 26-win season in 2005-06. Atlanta has a young core of players, as no one on the team has more than five seasons of NBA experience, and is expected to have a high pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
