Quin Snyder a Candidate to Replace Nate McMillan as Hawks HC, GM Fields Confirms

Former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is among the candidates to replace Nate McMillan as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, general manager Landry Fields confirmed to reporters on Wednesday.

He said specifically that Snyder being currently without a team and available on the market "is a factor in the sense that I feel comfortable mentioning his name, but there are other candidates I don't want to mention because they are a part of other teams."

ESPN also reported that Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are expected to be candidates for the vacancy.

Per that report, "Sources told ESPN that Fields wants a coach who will improve the franchise's player development and accountability and get the team moving toward the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rankings."

Snyder, 56, spent eight seasons as the head coach of the Utah Jazz, going 372-264 and leading the team to six straight playoff berths. In June 2022, he resigned from the position.

"At the core, and what drives me every day is our players and their passion for the game, their desire to constantly work to improve and their dedication to the team and the Jazz," he said in a statement at the time. "I strongly feel they need a new voice to continue to evolve. That's it. No philosophical differences, no other reason. After eight years, I just feel it is time to move onward. I needed to take time to detach after the season and make sure this was the right decision."

McMillan, 58, spent parts of three seasons as the Hawks' head coach, going 99-80 with two playoff berths. But the Hawks were just 29-30 under him this year, and Fields decided it was time for a change in an effort to provide the team with a jolt as they push for a playoff berth.

"I do believe there was slippage, and I felt that was a need we needed to address," he said.

Assistant coach Joe Prunty has been serving as the interim head coach, though it's unclear if he's in the running for the full-time gig.

"To do this now, sort of last minute, there's enough on Joe's plate," Fields said, adding that he told Prunty to worry about coaching the team in the short term and "we'll cover everything else later."