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Power ranking NBA head coaches: 2015-16 season

By John Buhler

Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gestures from the sidelines during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gestures from the sidelines during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 29, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer directs his team against the New York Knicks during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks defeated the Knicks 112-101. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer directs his team against the New York Knicks during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks defeated the Knicks 112-101. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks

The Mike Budenholzer Era in Atlanta has given flight to the once wingless Atlanta Hawks. Before coming to Atlanta in 2013-14, the Hawks had never made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in franchise history. In only his second season as an NBA head coach, Budenholzer set a franchise record for wins at 60 and had a team with no obvious superstar playing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for a trip to the NBA Finals.

Budenholzer won Coach of the Year in 2015 and had his mentor, San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich, give him the call to let him know that he won the award. What Budenholzer is doing in Atlanta is almost on par with what Bobby Cox did for the city’s professional baseball team. A culture change isn’t up everyone’s sleeves, but Budenholzer is building Spurs East in Atlanta and it is working.

Last year his Atlanta Hawks finished sixth in both offense and defensive team ratings. Even through the Hawks’ brutal start to their 2015-16 schedule, Budenholzer has his club at 9-5 and in the middle of everything in the Eastern Conference.

While Atlanta may still need a superstar of some sorts to win an NBA Championship, if it’s up to anyone invested in the Atlanta Hawks, they’re not going to let Budenholzer leave the organization anytime soon. What he is building in Atlanta has never been done before and he could win an NBA Championship for Atlanta sometime in the not so distant future.

Next: 3. Rick Carlisle

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