Quin Snyder hired to take Hawks, Trae Young to next level

Quin Snyder is returning to the NBA to coach Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks immediately.

The Atlanta Hawks are bringing back a familiar face to lead them in Quin Snyder, as he will be the next head coach of the Eastern Conference franchise.

While Atlanta won its two games with Joe Prunty as the interim, Snyder was quickly tabbed by the Hawks brass to be Nate McMillan’s long-term replacement. Atlanta swiftly pivoted off McMillan during the All-Star break. Although the Hawks remain a playoff-caliber team, they have stagnated over the last two years after reaching the conference finals when McMillan was still their interim.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting it will be a five-year deal for Snyder. He is expected to be on the sidelines for the Hawks’ next game on Tuesday night vs. the division-rival Washington Wizards at home.

Snyder was most recently the Utah Jazz’s head coach but was Mike Budenholzer’s top assistant on his first Atlanta staff nearly a decade ago.

Atlanta Hawks hire Quin Snyder to get the most out of Trae Young and company

This move could not have come at a better time. The Hawks have been experiencing a bit of a leadership void after former general manager Travis Schlenk’s resignation and McMillan’s termination. Although this hire was spearheaded by new general manager Landry Fields and owner Tony Ressler, keep in mind that assistant general manager Kyle Korver played for him.

Fields expressed great enthusiasm on being able to hire Snyder as the team’s next head coach.

"“From our first conversation, it was clear that Quin had all the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach. He has both an incredible basketball and emotional IQ, and we share the same core values and basketball philosophies of having honest communication and collaboration with players, tremendous attention to detail and placing a great emphasis on player development. We are excited to welcome him, his wife Amy and their family back to Atlanta.”"

Obviously, Snyder could not be happier to return to a place where he had such great success.

"“I am thrilled to go back to Atlanta as the next head coach of the Hawks. Landry has a tremendous reputation as an incredibly bright, high character, high quality individual and it was quickly evident that we share a passion and commitment to building a winning team with a strong foundation and high standards. I am excited to collaborate with Landry to create a successful program that devoted Hawks fans are proud of and cheer for and am grateful to Tony, Jami and the Ressler family for this opportunity. My family and I are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the community and calling Atlanta home.”"

Atlanta has been looking for a head coach who could be what Budenholzer was for them previously. McMillan massively overachieved for being an interim. He helped bridged the gap between the Lloyd Pierce disaster into the new era we are about to embark on with Snyder. The goal with hiring Snyder is to provide the stabilizing presence this team needs to get over the top.

Young may have been unfairly labeled a coach killer, but Pierce was not a good fit and McMillan’s shelf life hit an expiration date sometime late last year. Snyder had been instrumental in the Jazz’s recent run of success, but that thing needed a reboot after a few premature postseason exits. His resignation last offseason was a sign that he could return to Atlanta to coach his former team.

Overall, this is a move to get excited about if you are a Hawks fan, or just want to see the Atlanta basketball club finally play up to its lofty potential. This team is not yet a serious championship contender, but there is still more tread left on the tire in this group’s competitive life cycle. If Snyder can provide accountability to help this team play more cohesively, watch out for Atlanta.

Give the Hawks credit for acting swiftly to make sure they got the top head coach on the market.