The Atlanta Hawks have made a decision to move on from their head coach Nate McMillan. The news was confirmed by the team in a statement shared by general manager Landry Fields.
McMillan leaves the Hawks at No. 8 in Eastern Conference with a 29-30 record and 3.5 games behind the New York Knicks at No.6. Assistant Joe Prunty will serve as the interim head coach while the franchise searches for McMillan’s replacement.
“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,” Fields said in a statement.
According to Wojnarowski, the Hawks intend to cast a wide net during their head coaching search. They see the former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder as their top target but are also expected to interview the Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and the Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.
Nate McMillan initially joined the Hawks as an assistant on Lloyd Pierce’s staff ahead of the 2020-21 season. Pierce ended up being fired after starting the campaign 14–20, with McMillan taking over the team on an interim basis. McMillan turned around the Hawks’ season, going 27-11 down the stretch and making the Eastern Conference Finals.
McMillan received the full-time job after the unexpected run but failed to replicate the success he had as an interim. The team particularly struggled this season, losing eight of their 13 games leading into the All-Star break. McMillan’s job security was also jeopardized by the reported strained relationship between him and star guard Trae Young.
