Hawks part ways with Nate McMillan, commence coaching search

The Atlanta Hawks have dismissed head coach Nate McMillan after an almost two-year stint with the team over three separate seasons, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Joe Prunty will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season as the Hawks’ front office undergoes their hiring process.

Former Utah head coach Quin Snyder is expected to be atop their list of potential candidates alongside Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee, Sacramento assistant Jordi Fernandez, San Antonio assistant Mitch Johnson and South Bay Lakers head coach Miles Simon.

The Hawks – who traded for All-Star Dejounte Murray over the offseason – are currently 29-30 and firmly within the Eastern Conference’s play-in mix.

They are currently ranked 14th in the league in offence and 21st in defence.

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Tension among McMillan and key members of the playing group – including two-time All-Star Trae Young – arose at different points of the season with Young sitting out an early-December matchup against Denver after a disagreement at shootaround.

McMillan reportedly considered quitting the team in the following weeks before smoothing things over.

The team went 99-80 under McMillan’s stewardship but have struggled to build consistency this season.

McMillan joined the Hawks ahead of the 2020-21 season as Lloyd Pierce’s assistant and took over as head coach midway through the season when the team parted ways with Pierce.

The team would go on to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals that season before losing to the eventual champion Bucks in six games.

Last season, they went 43-39 and won a pair of play-in games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Miami in five games.

McMillan – who is the 18th-most winningest head coach in league history – is no guarantee of seeking a role elsewhere.

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