The Atlanta Hawks have made a major change in the middle of their 2021-22 season, announcing on Tuesday the firing of head coach Nate McMillan. Assistant coach Joe Prunty is currently set to take over the team in the interim, while the Hawks will conduct a full-time head coach search.
McMillan had been the head coach in Atlanta since the 2020-21 season. Prior to that, he had coached the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, and Indiana Pacers. In his first full year as head coach for the Hawks, the team finished 43-39 and earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
The team had high hopes this season, after upgrading their backcourt with the acquisition of All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. But those hopes have not been realized, as the team sits at the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference at 29-30.
The Hawks are reportedly considering ex-Jazz coach Quin Snyder, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, and Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for the full-time head coach position. It remains to be seen what role, if any, McMillan’s relationship with star guard Trae Young had in McMillan’s dismissal, following a conflict between the two that led to Young skipping a home game in December.
The Hawks are hoping that a new head coach can help the team reach the goals they had at the start of this season and make a deeper run in the playoffs. In the meantime, Joe Prunty is set to lead the team, and the search for a full-time head coach is underway.
