Five names to watch as Hawks start search for next head coach

Nate McMillan wasn’t the problem in Atlanta. Maybe he wasn’t the solution with a dated offense and a less-than-ideal relationship with Trae Young — but McMillan wasn’t the root of the problem in Atlanta. For that matter, neither was GM Travis Schlenk, but he and now McMillan are out the door. This very hands-on ownership group pushed hard for the Dejounte Murray trade — over the concerns of some in the front office — then fired everyone when it didn’t work out (at least so far).

Which leads to this question: Will coaches with options jump at the Hawks’ head coaching job? They will want assurances about autonomy — and those assurances will have to include four or five fully guaranteed years.

Here’s a list of five names to watch for the Hawks head coaching position, both based on reports that have surfaced and conversations with league sources. The top three names on this list are the names that appear to be the favorites at the start of the process, but this search could go a lot of different directions.

The former Jazz coach who led Utah to the best record in the NBA is the top unemployed coach on the market and — if the Hawks want someone before the end of the season — should be their first call. (Whether Snyder would be willing to start mid-season is another question, he may want an entire training camp.)

Snyder came out of the Popovich/Budenholzer coaching tree and built a regular-season juggernaut in Utah with a system that prized player and ball movement. However, that didn’t translate to the postseason success the franchise craved. Could he get the most out of a Trae Young/Clint Capela pick-and-roll offense? Could he get this Hawks team to defend again? Could he get them back to the conference finals?

Snyder will