Mike Budenholzer Named Hawks Team President, Wes Wilcox Promoted to GM
The Atlanta Hawks announced head coach Mike Budenholzer has been promoted to team president, and Danny Ferry will be replaced as general manager by former assistant GM Wes Wilcox.
The team released a statement regarding the news, via Bleacher Report's Howard Beck:
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports initially reported the move was coming on June 18.
Ferry took a leave of absence in September after it surfaced that he made racially insensitive comments about Luol Deng during a conference call with the team's ownership group. Ferry didn't return to the team this season, so his impending departure is not a surprise.
Wilcox spent time as a front-office executive under Ferry in both Atlanta and Cleveland. Budenholzer, meanwhile, was awarded Coach of the Year last season after leading the Hawks to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He previously spent 18 years as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, though he doesn't have front-office experience.
While the Hawks have promoted both Budenholzer and Wilcox, there shouldn't be much of an adjustment period in Atlanta, since both men were already entrenched in the organization. Budenholzer's increased pull in the front office will give him more power in personnel decisions, however, and likely the last call when putting together the team's roster.
