Atlanta Hawks fire head coach Nate McMillan; Joe Prunty named interim

The Atlanta Hawks have decided to part ways with head coach Nate McMillan, the team announced Tuesday.

McMillan was named the team’s interim coach in March 2021 and led the Hawks to an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals. 

But this season has largely been a disappointment. Atlanta entered the NBA All-Star break with a record of 29-30 and sits in eighth place in the East.

The Hawks tabbed assistant coach Joe Prunty as the interim coach.

Prunty started his coaching career with the Spurs under Gregg Popovich. He served as the Bucks’ interim coach in 2018, compiling a 21-16 record.

The Hawks struggled to find consistency throughout the 2021-22 season and had to win two games in the play-in tournament to secure a final playoff spot. The Hawks lost to the Miami Heat in five games in the first round of the postseason.

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The Hawks are the fourth NBA team McMillan has coached, following his previous stints with the Seattle Supersonics, the Trail Blazers and the Pacers.

The Hawks are in the midst of several changes within their basketball operations. Former general manager and team President Travis Schlenk moved into an advisory role. Former player Landry Fields was named the new general manager.

Nick Ressler, the 27-year-old son of principal owner Tony Ressler, has assumed a role in the front office and is believed to hold a significant amount of influence, according to a report from The Athletic. 

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In January, former Hawks player Kyle Korver took the job as assistant general manager. Korver previously served as the Hawks’ director of player affairs and development.

McMillan and star point guard Trae Young’s relationship was seemingly strained over the past few months.

Young decided not to attend a game against the Nuggets in December after reportedly having a disagreement with McMillan during a team shootaround. McMillan later described the situation as a “miscommunication” between him and Young.

“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.

McMillan went 99-80 in three seasons as the Hawks head coach, including a 27-11 record as the interim.

Former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson are expected to draw interest from the Hawks.