The Atlanta Hawks made a rather surprising decision on Tuesday afternoon.
It wasn’t surprising to see them parting ways with coach Nate McMillan, especially after reports of him considering resigning earlier in the season.
However, the timing was just kind of strange, as they waited until a couple of days back from the All-Star break before firing their coach.
McMillan reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with franchise star Trae Young.
And according to several reports, some of the Hawks players didn’t exactly side with Young in this dispute.
Now, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks are looking for someone who excels at player development but that will also hold the guys accountable.
The Hawks are starting a search for a new head coach immediately, sources tell ESPN. Among the top characteristics in the search: player development, accountability and getting Hawks offense and defense into league's Top 10.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 21, 2023
On top of that, the organization is looking for a coach that could take them to the top 10 in both offense and defense, which sounds ambitious with just one-fourth of the regular season left.
The Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season, and Dejounte Murray’s addition didn’t do a lot to help their cause.
They’re sitting at a 29-30 record and the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, just three games above the final spot in the Play-in tournament.
Woj adds that they could be interested in signing former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who’s on a sabbatical right now.
Perhaps, there’s more to this than the reports stated, and the Hawks didn’t want to risk Young forcing a trade in the offseason.
But whatever the reason, the timing is just odd.
NEXT: NBA Insider Reveals Who The Hawks Will Target At Head Coach
