In a no-brainer decision, Travis Schlenk announced the Hawks have an agreement in place to make Nate McMillan the permanent head coach.
Nate McMillan and the Atlanta Hawks have an agreement in place for McMillan to be the team's permanent head coach.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2021
After the firing of Lloyd Pierce, McMillan was named the interim head coach. At the time of Pierce’s firing, the Hawks were 14-20. They finished the season on a 27-11 run, earning them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and the story didn’t end there. They made quick work of the Knicks in the first round and then upset the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers to earn a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they pushed the Milwaukee Bucks to six games. Had Trae Young not gone down in Game 3 with an ankle injury, there’s a chance they might have even made The Finals. McMillan finished with an overall 37-19 record.
At first, I was hesitant regarding whether or not the coaching change would have much of an impact on the Hawks. I was wrong; McMillan helped this team realize its full potential and proved to be one of the best coaches in the NBA. Under his guidance, the sky is the limit for this group moving forward.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is for four years and was in place before the Eastern Conference Finals began.
Atlanta president/GM Travis Schlenk told reporters that an agreement was in place to shed interim label after McMillan led Hawks to Eastern Conference Finals.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2021
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