Feb. 22 (UPI) — The Atlanta Hawks, with a 29-30 record, fired coach Nate McMillan in the middle of his third season, the team said. Former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder is among those who could be considered for the job.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields announced McMillan’s dismissal Tuesday night. Assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over as interim head coach.
“I would like to thank Nate for his leadership and professionalism during his time with the Hawks,” Fields said in a news release. “He is truly a class act, and we appreciate the graciousness and work ethic he brought with him every day.
“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.”
Sources told ESPN and The Athletic that Snyder, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson could be under consideration as a replacement.
McMillan went 99-80 in his three seasons as Hawks head coach. He joined the franchise in 2020 as an assistant and led the Indiana Pacers to a 183-136 records from 2016 through 2019. He also spent time as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Supersonics.
The veteran coach has a 760-668 overall record in 19 seasons. McMillan also led teams to 11 trips to the postseason, where they posted a 28-49 record. He went 11-12 with the Hawks in the postseason.
Prunty joined the Hawks in 2021. He previously worked as an assistant with the Phoenix Suns, Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
The Hawks will host the Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. EST Sunday in Atlanta.
