A mixed bag for NBA head coaches on Tuesday. Nate McMillan’s nearly two-year run as with the Atlanta Hawks is over. The news however was much better for Jacque Vaughn who received an extension to continue in Brooklyn with the Nets.
McMillan was hired by the Hawks prior to the 2020-21 season. But Atlanta is 29-30 and in eighth place in the East. Joe Prunty will lead the team in the interim but the Hawks will conduct a full-time search beginning with Quin Snyder the former Utah Jazz head coach. Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are both highly regarding and will be part of the interview process.
Playoff Run Lead To Full-Time Job
McMillan had three previous head coaching jobs before landing in Atlanta. He guided the Seattle SuperSonics, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers. He was part of Lloyd Pierce’s staff in Atlanta and took over when the Hawks canned Pierce in March of 2021. McMillan posted a 27-11 mark to finish the year but what clinched the full-time gig was an unexpected march to the NBA finals.
Atlanta made the playoffs again in 2021-2022 following a regular season record of 43-39. There was no playoff magic this time around as the Hawks were dumped in the first round by the Miami Heat.
Keep on, Keeping Vaughn
The second-time was the charm for Jacque Vaughn who was also head coach of the Orlando Magic from 2012-2015. He’ll not only remain as head coach but he’s also get a few coach of the year votes/ringleader of the year for his work with the Brooklyn Nets circus.
Despite the daily drama provided by Kyrie Irving and the injuries to Kevin Durant, Vaughn has been a miracle worker. The Nets are 32-19 since Steve Nash was fired six games into the season and Vaughn has them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. He had been a Nets assistant since 2016, first under Kenny Atkinson and then with Nash who took over in 2020. Vaughn has proved his mettle over the past 51 games holding things together despite the craziness around him. His 12-1 mark in December set a franchise record for wins in a month and earned him coach of the month honors.
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