According to Atlanta Hawks beat reporter Chris Vivlamore, the team has hired San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer as the new head coach.
The Hawks have hired Mike Budenholzer as head coach. #ATLHawks
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) May 28, 2013
Hawks’ previous coach, Larry Drew, seemingly didn’t gel that well with the Hawks, and his three-year tenure with the team has come to and end. Drew is currently interviewing for other head coaching jobs around the NBA.
Budenholzer has certainly been around for a long time, as he was promoted to an assistant coaching position with the Spurs for the 1996-97 season, and eventually became the primary assistant coach under Gregg Popovich.
This is a great opportunity for Budenholzer, as he will be able to assist in rebuilding Atlanta’s roster. The team decided against extending Josh Smith’s contract and will have just under $18.5 million committed in salaries this summer, giving the team immense flexibility in the free agency market.
Other than some dream scenarios of highly coveted head coaches around the league, Budenholzer was likely the best-case scenario for the Hawks.
The San Antonio Spurs have just eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals, and Budenholzer will finish the remainder of this season as part of the Spurs’ coaching staff before he joins the Hawks in official capacity.
Budenholzer will be introduced by the Hawks on Wednesday.