The sideline will look different when the Hawks start the second half of their season on Friday.
Atlanta fired coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, dismissing the coach that took over on an interim basis in 2021 and led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals during his tenure.
The Atlanta Hawks dismissed coach Nate McMillan, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Jjh3qlCnCX
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 21, 2023
McMillan replaced Lloyd Pierce in March of 2021 and sparked an instant turnaround that culminated in the deep playoff run. The last two seasons have not been as smooth, with Atlanta facing another challenging path back to the playoffs this year after narrowly sneaking in last spring.
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The Hawks represented the fourth different head coaching stint in McMillan's well-traveled career. He previously landed head coaching gigs in Seattle, Portland, and Indiana. McMillan was one win shy of 100 in Atlanta.
Here's what you need to know about why the Hawks fired McMillan midseason.
Why did the Hawks fire Nate McMillan?
The 2022-23 season came with higher expectations for the Hawks after an offseason trade for Dejounte Murray. While the finish to the 2020-21 season might have been an overachievement, 2021-22 was largely viewed as an underachievement after Atlanta needed two wins in the play-in round just to get into the playoffs.
Despite their core being much healthier than in past years (all five starters have played at least 40 games), the results just haven't been there for the Hawks this season. Atlanta sits eighth in the Eastern Conference at 29-30 and lost its last two games before the all-star break.
In a statement, newly-promoted general manager Landry Fields said, "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."
Friction between McMillan and Trae Young may be a reason for the Hawks' lack of progress. The Athletic reported in December that the Hawks were "managing simmering issues" between McMillan and Young, adding that an exchange between the two led to Young not attending a game.
McMillan told reporters the incident was a "miscommunication."
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The Athletic reported later in December that McMillan "strongly considered resigning from his position" amid the friction in the locker room. While the Hawks strongly denied the report, McMillan responded to it by admitting he would consider retiring after the season. That decision was apparently made for him on Tuesday.
Young was reported to be "on board" with the decision to fire Pierce in 2021, making McMillan the second coach to be axed midseason due in part to the Hawks' star point guard.
The Hawks will hope Prunty can spark the same turnaround McMillan did two years ago, but there are some reported options for the franchise if he is not the long-term solution.
Who will replace Nate McMillan as the Hawks' head coach?
Assistant coach Joe Prunty will replace McMillan on an interim basis. Prunty previously replaced Jason Kidd on an interim basis in Milwaukee when Kidd was fired in 2018, guiding the Bucks into the playoffs. Milwaukee ultimately hired former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer after the season.
According to reports, Quin Snyder, Charles Lee, and Kenny Atkinson will all be candidates to watch in Atlanta. All three have ties to the Hawks.
Snyder served as an assistant in Atlanta during Budenholzer's first season, while Atkinson and Lee both spent time as assistants under Budenholzer. Atkinson served as head coach of the Nets from 2016-2020 and accepted the Hornets' head coaching job last offseason before reversing course and staying with the Warriors.
The Athletic's Shams Charania also reports that Kings assistant Jordi Fernnadez, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, and G-League coach Miles Simon will also be under consideration by the Hawks.
Sources: The Hawks' head coaching candidates are expected to include Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, G League South Bay's Miles Simon and former Jazz coach Quin Snyder.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 21, 2023
The Hawks might not be able to actively pursue most candidates until the season is over, though Snyder is on the open market after stepping down in Utah last year.
Nate McMillan contract
McMillan signed a four-year contract when the Hawks lifted his interim tag in 2021, so he still had two more full seasons left on his deal after 2022-23.
Atlanta will be paying both McMillan and its new head coach next season.
