The Atlanta Hawks and head coach Mike Budenholzer have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced in a press release on Wednesday night. The news was first reported by ESPN.
Hawks announce that Mike Budenholzer is no longer the head coach of the team. pic.twitter.com/GEnPVkE3UF
— Daniel R. (@Daniel_Th0mas) April 26, 2018
Budenholzer spent five seasons with the Hawks, leading the team to a 60-win season in 2015 while being named the NBA’s Coach of the Year. He was hired in 2013 after spending 17 seasons as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs, winning four championships.
“I am grateful for the five years that I spent as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and will always cherish the incredible contributions, commitment and accomplishments of the players that I was fortunate enough to work with here,” Budenholzer told ESPN. “From ownership to management, support staff to the community, I’ll look back with great pride on what we were able to achieve together with the Hawks.”
Budenholzer interviewed with the New York Knicks on Sunday and remains a candidate for their vacant head coaching job, according to ESPN.com. He also interviewed with the Phoenix Suns at season’s end, although that opening no longer interests him.
Mike Budenholzer is the fourth Eastern Conference head coach to lose his job following the 2017-18 season, with other potential candidates on current Playoff teams. Other East teams with vacancies are Orlando, New York and Charlotte.
Among the assistant coaches expected to be included in the Hawks’ head coaching search are Charlotte’s Stephen Silas, San Antonio’s James Borrego and Ime Udoka, and Portland’s Nate Tibbets and David Vanterpool, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
