With the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks aren't going to have the benefit of resting on their laurels after firing Nate McMillan on Tuesday. Hiring a coach takes on paramount importance for a fringe playoff team looking to make a run behind star guard Trae Young, and the Hawks have settled on longtime Jazz coach and former Hawks assistant Quin Snyder.
Snyder, who was an assistant with the Hawks for a season and coached the Jazz for eight seasons, accumulated a 372-264 record with the Jazz and took Utah to the playoffs in his last six years. He had a 21-33 record in the playoffs and was 3-6 in postseason series. Ultimately, Snyder resigned from the Jazz after the 2021-22 season.
On Feb. 26, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Hawks and Snyder have reached an agreement on a five-year deal, which includes the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season.
ESPN Sources: Quin Snyder has reached agreement on a five-year deal — including the rest of this season — to become coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Snyder is expected to be on sidelines as soon as Tuesday vs. Washington. pic.twitter.com/ZYLx7y4v9V
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 26, 2023
Will Snyder be the guy to lead the Hawks to the playoffs? The Sporting News breaks down the hire below.
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Why are the Hawks hiring Quin Snyder?
With the Hawks sitting in basketball limbo this season — hovering around .500 and the Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference — it isn't as simple as riding out the year and trying again in the offseason. The Hawks are in the teeth of Trae Young's extension and Dejounte Murray was supposed to help them make a run this year, so the search had to begin and end with someone with experience.
Snyder has that in spades. He took a Jazz team that was struggling to find an identity and made it a perennial playoff team, even if the Jazz never got to where they needed to go. He also has experience dealing with ball-dominant guards like Donovan Mitchell, which will be beneficial when dealing with Young.
Wojnarowski reported more on the decision behind the hire, citing the importance of the timing and an already-budding relationship with Young.
The move to take over the Hawks immediately is rooted both in the desire to make an Eastern Conference playoff run and to give Snyder a chance to start implementing his program and standards and evaluating the franchise's players on the way into the offseason, sources said.
Snyder and All-Star guard Trae Young are both expressing an enthusiasm to begin working together, and that partnership will go a long way into determining the success of the franchise's future.
Snyder's positive overall record with the Jazz and his playoff pedigree make him a solid option for a team hoping to make a playoff run this season. Although the Hawks are starting behind the line they want to be, all it takes is a playoff berth to wreak some havoc in the NBA.
While experience in the coaching world doesn't always translate one-to-one, Snyder will look to make Young and Clint Capela a new Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in Atlanta. He will also, however, hope to raise the ceiling from his time in Utah, where he never made it past the Conference Semifinals.
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Why didn't Quin Snyder coach the Hornets?
Snyder was heavily tied to the Charlotte Hornets after they dismissed James Borrego following last season, but he ultimately balked at signing with them and the Hornets got Steve Clifford following a saga that included a reneged agreement from current Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.
Although pen was never put to paper, Snyder's connections to Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak made it an easy line to draw for him as a destination.
After the Kings hired Mike Brown as their coach, leaving the Hornets as the last available job, it made more sense Snyder would go there. However, he ended up sitting out on the carousel altogether last offseason.
Snyder was arguably the best coach on the market and is a viable candidate for a team looking to make a late-season push. With their roster and playoff aspirations, the Hawks fit that bill well.
