Hawks Hire Spurs Assistant Mike Budenholzer As New Head Coach
The Atlanta Hawks have hired the San Antonio Spurs’ assistant coach Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach to replace Larry Drew. In three seasons with the Hawks, Drew led the team to the playoffs each year, but he never made it further than conference semifinals.
The move for Budenholzer seems to be the right choice for the Hawks as general manager Danny Ferry is familiar with the coach after he spent time as the vice president of operations for the Spurs before joining the Hawks’ front office in 2012.
He will now be reunited with Budenholzer in Atlanta, though the new head coach will continue his duties with the Spurs in the NBA finals before he officially takes over for the Hawks.
“He has an incredible basketball acumen and has a keen awareness of the league and what it takes to be successful,” Ferry said Tuesday in a statement about the team’s new head coach. ”His experience and four championships over the last 17 years provide a tremendous foundation for his leadership of our team.”
Budenholzer came to the NBA before the 1994-95 season as a video coordinator for the Spurs and he’s since worked his way up the ladder. He was quickly moved up to an assistant coaching position after two years with the team, and he eventually was named the Spurs’ number one assistant before the 2006-07 season. He now has his first chance to hold the clipboard and lead the Hawks as they look to become a force in the Eastern Conference.
“I have been extremely fortunate to be a part of the San Antonio Spurs organization for the last 19 years,” Budenholzer said in a statement through the Hawks. ”I knew it would have to be a tremendous situation for me to leave and clearly coming to Atlanta as the head coach of the Hawks is perfect for me.”
Only time will tell how Budenholzer transitions into a head coaching role, but he’s going to have a lot of work to do once he joins the team after the NBA Finals.
Do you believe Mike Budenholzer is the perfect fit as the new head coach for the Atlanta Hawks?
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