Atlanta Hawks: Larry Drew is the choice for coach
Hawks pick Drew to be next coach.
The Hawks have decided to hire Larry Drew as their next head coach, people with knowledge of the decision said today.
Drew was Atlanta’s lead assistant for six years under Mike Woodson, who was let go last month. Drew and the team are working out the details of a contract this evening and the official announcement of his hiring is expected on Saturday.
Drew, 52, emerged from a group of finalists that also included Avery Johnson, Dwane Casey and Mark Jackson. Once Johnson agreed to coach the Nets early in the week, that left Atlanta’s ownership group and GM Rick Sund to choose from among the other three candidates.
This will be Drew’s first head-coaching job after he’s been an NBA assistant for the the last 14 seasons. He worked for the Lakers, Wizards, Pistons and Nets before joining Woodson’s staff for the 2004-05 season. Drew played 714 games over 10 NBA seasons from 1980-91.
“He’s very experienced, just being around the game,” Hawks guard Jamal Crawford said. “He’s very knowledgeable. I think he is prepared for a lot of different situations.”
When Sund decided not to retain Woodson, he said the team needed “another voice” after the team lost in the second round of the playoffs the last two years. The Hawks apparently decided Drew will have a leadership style distinct from Woodson while also having the advantage of established relationships with players and familiarity with the team’s issues.
“He knows the faults of our teams,” Crawford said. “It’s not like we are a bad team. Now we can continue to build; we don’t have to start over.”
Drew inherits a team that won 53 games next season and, among its core players, has all but Joe Johnson under contract for next season. But he will face some challenges as the Hawks look to break through after getting swept in the second round of the playoffs in consecutive years.
Drew is popular among players but now his role changes from sometimes-confidant to the person in charge of their playing time and involvement in the offense. He also will have to reprimand players for their mistakes while trying to maintain relationships and team chemistry.
“Everything is going to be a first for him,” Crawford said. “But I think it will be a little bit easier transition because he knows our team. He doesn’t have to come in and learn the different personalities, what makes people tick and how to motivate them.”
When the Hawks let Woodson go, among the concerns expressed by players and management was what they considered Woodson’s differing levels of accountability. They said Woodson didn’t rebuke certain players as often as he did others, leading to some resentment in the locker room.
The Hawks also want to move away from an isolation-heavy offensive approach that was influenced by guard Joe Johnson’s playing style. Johnson is eligible to become a free agent next month, and the Hawks still want to re-sign him.
A person with knowledge of Johnson’s plans said he’s still open to returning. But the person said the new coach would have to sell Johnson on relying more on his teammates in the offense and ensure him that locker-room chemistry would improve.
MC
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552 comments Add your comment
chefbtl
June 11th, 2010
10:46 pm
Are u kidding JJ come back why ? When u have a chance of playing with Lebron,everywhere but here.
chefbtl
June 11th, 2010
10:49 pm
Wont get my season tickets until i see us make some moves on the roster.make me feel like I should spend my hard earned money,unlike some people in this organization.
darrell starks
June 11th, 2010
10:50 pm
For any one who like this sign in what way this improve the hawks you basically have the same coaching staff with the same voice, look we have think big but i forgot THIS IS LOSERVILLE.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
now, let's say bye to JJ
June 11th, 2010
10:51 pm
Folks in L.A. and Chicago said the same things when Pat Riley and Phil Jackson were hired….assistant coaches who had not been head guys before. I’m not saying Drew will be as succeesful as they are, I’m just saying that every great head coach was an assistant at one time or another. Can’t believe they were even considering Jackson. The man has NO coaching experience at any level.
Fundamentals
June 11th, 2010
10:52 pm
Now we must 100% support Drew! He’s our coach people, move forward, not backwards!
MC – Questions?
I would like to hear Drews philosophy moving forward. What does he see as our system, our challenges during the summer and how he plans to move forward. What is his vision for our team.
Any ideas on who his staff will include?
Props to Jamal for actually stepping up for the interview. Just like in the playoffs it takes professionalism and character to be available for comment in tough situations. Thank you for your leadership Jamal.
What are thoughts from the individual players? What are they planning to work on now that they know who they’ll be playing for.
Who were the players “supporting Drew” that we heard about the day Woodson was fired?
What pieces does Drew feel are most vital to fill before camp opens?
Once we know the philosophy we can set priorities for the summer, camp and preseason.
I wish him the best. I pray the team embraces his leadership. We need to grow, we needed a new voice & direction. Good luck to coach Drew. He’ll need the help of his coaches, players, owners, and most importantly the fans of his team to be successful. Step up people or get off the train now. No room for turncoats and foul mouths!
mike bibby's bro
June 11th, 2010
10:54 pm
this is a dumb hiring we should have gotton avery johnson while we had the chance. Oh well if this guy is smart he will get joe johnson to sign and trade him for sombody to add depth to the bench and get a high draft pick and get cole aldrich and then sign josh childress back and start him and keep jamal has the six man. starting line up . 1. Mike Bibby
2. Josh Childress
3. Josh Smith 6th man. Jamal Crawford
4. Al Hoford
5. Cole Aldrich
oh and i almost forgot marvin on the bench so it adds depth to the bench.
Rick Sund
June 11th, 2010
10:57 pm
LMAO
JDM
June 11th, 2010
11:02 pm
As always, seems like the Hawks are going the cheapest route again.
Samuel
June 11th, 2010
11:03 pm
WOW
Rufus1
June 11th, 2010
11:03 pm
Congrats!!!!!!
If Teague is the starting PG next season, he will have my vote. This is a great move if JJ comes back, but if he doesn’t….it sucks.
I bet he told SUND he could turn Marvin into a 15-18pts scorer….
Hoops
June 11th, 2010
11:15 pm
Congratulations Larry Drew for being named the Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks!!!
Let’s go people. Give the man a chance. Remember when you got your first real chance to show your leadership abilities. You desired the support of those around.
Hawks fans, support get behind your coach and support him! You may be surprised!!! He knows the players better than anyone. He knows the locker room better than anyone.
It’s time to work on the draft picks!
j
June 11th, 2010
11:18 pm
Look, this isn’t so terrible. This ownership group has always liked Drew, and why isn’t he as good or better than casey or jackson or whoever else hasn’t already had success as a head coach. He’ll be fine, if what they say about the players respecting him and different styles on both offense or defense. We were all just hoping for something surprising, but this hire isn’t necessarily a bad thing
terrell
June 11th, 2010
11:19 pm
LMAO!
terrell
June 11th, 2010
11:21 pm
Sund didn’t make this choice, the ASG did. Wish him luck, but I’m not too thrilled right now.
jordan
June 11th, 2010
11:24 pm
More of the same. What a weak horrible selection. Terrible for the team terrible for Drew’s career. No freakin wonder. They got the only coach that they could control and pay asst coach’s pay. F you ownership. You sit back and watch your sick joke of a professional franchise. I want to say I can’t believe it but I so can believe it. I’m white as casper but a bunch of dumb white guys making major basketball decisions. What a freaking joke. That’s the dumbest decision I have ever heard of. And it has nothing to do with Larry Drew. It has to do with not going in a new direction. What a FUNNY decision. A bunch of pukes hiring a guy in Woodson’s corner when we finally got rid of Woodson. OMG.
terrell
June 11th, 2010
11:24 pm
If Marvin is moved to the bench, Drew might be our man. If he starts, same ole, same ole. Just have to wait and see.
terrell
June 11th, 2010
11:25 pm
Wonder hoew Drew feels about Teague? And Bibby for that matter.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 11th, 2010
11:27 pm
I have no idea whether Drew is a future Hall of Famer or a bust, but like the rest of y’all, I hope this works out for the best… just like I did with Woody.
JeJe
June 11th, 2010
11:30 pm
Can we please get an article on what Drew’s philosophies are? Is he gonna develop Teague? Does he know offense?
We know nothing about this guy, except that the players like him. If that’s the case, why don’t we just make Dominique the GM and coach?
GTFan
June 11th, 2010
11:35 pm
Terrible hire. I’m officially done with this team. Until there is new ownership, down with the hawks and thrashers!
bake
June 11th, 2010
11:36 pm
i like STEEL’s optimism…but last i checked we don’t have a michael jordan or a scottie pippen on the roster. SORRY!!! bad comparison!
terrell
June 11th, 2010
11:37 pm
People, in order to run run, run, like Phoenix you must have shooters. If JJ leaves, who do we have?
Rufus1
June 11th, 2010
11:46 pm
Players
Maybe we can bring over Sergi Galdyr, he is a 6′5″ shooter…Also can we finally get a 7ft player on the team
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 11th, 2010
11:46 pm
I called it… Hawks fired their coach because he wanted a raise and they can get this guy for less. This is not really an improvement but he should fit right in with the culture in Atlanta.
Section 303
June 11th, 2010
11:46 pm
terrell, I’m still willing to take my chances without Joe Johnson. Assuming it will take a max deal to keep him, he would cripple the franchise. I don’t care how high the other teams rate him, he’s on the back end of his career. Plus, he proved himself to be an a$$hole with his fan comments.
Here’s hoping that Sund can pull off a sign-and-trade.
Section 303
June 11th, 2010
11:49 pm
Rufus1, why do I have the feeling that Gladyr will become a mythical character, just like Anderson? Must have been 3 or 4 years hearing about how Anderson was developing, but he never came over here and played on the Hawks.
Can’t wait to hear my first update on Gladyr’s progress. This organization loves to creates legends out of myths.
J. Dawg
June 11th, 2010
11:55 pm
I hope this was a good choice, Good luck Larry Drew.
J. Dawg
June 11th, 2010
11:58 pm
@Rufus1 That will never happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff D.
June 11th, 2010
11:58 pm
I’ll give Drew a fair shot to get some work done here. I was hoping for a bigger name to get the job but this is how things get done with this ownership. Settle on a coach by conference call. All I hope for is an UP TEMPO offense that can cut and slash, make sharp passes and utilize the youth of this team. I’ve seen way too much of the bus stop offense under Woodson and I’m confident Drew can blow it up. The man has put in his time and he’s getting his shot. I can’t feel bad about that at all.
J. Dawg
June 11th, 2010
11:59 pm
@Rufus1 That’s to much like right!!!!!!!!!!!
terrell
June 12th, 2010
12:01 am
Maybe this was a move to keep JJ and bring Chills back?
tidog
June 12th, 2010
12:03 am
Howdy boys, there’s a new sheriff in town, welcome sheriff drew. but seriously, head coaches were usually assistant coaches before the lead position becomes theirs. drew may blow everyone away at his press conference and put the atlanta hawk fans at ease. i hope he does so that the vibe of the blog will change.
Jeff D.
June 12th, 2010
12:04 am
I guess the only way to say this is to borrow the line about Manny Ramirez and how he rolls. This is just the Spirit being the Spirit.
MsDee
June 12th, 2010
12:11 am
Great Coach Drew!! Now ask Mark Jackson if he would like to be your top assistant for the Hawks..JJ and the rest of the team would continue to praise you for your decisions so far. They will continue to respect your choices for the new season..Fans, give him a chance to earn your respect, dont cut him down before he gets the chance to climb!!
MaxxHawk
June 12th, 2010
12:12 am
I always liked Larry Drew, but I would have liked to see us interview Ty Corbin
ok cool
June 12th, 2010
12:20 am
Not a bad decision at all, Woody jus straight up would ignore this guy on the sidelines, he is already familiar with our problems and knows what makes our players tick, his son plays for unc so he obviously coached him into being a good player, so imo great hire
Atl Resident
June 12th, 2010
12:27 am
Nothing against Drew, but this another cheap move, by another Atlanta sports team, which is nothing new. It’s been this way for years. Hell I don’t blame players and coaches for exploring the market instead of being content for playing in Atlanta when contracts are up.
Dean
June 12th, 2010
12:39 am
So, so, so disappointed. Same old crap from the same old crap owners. Is this progress? Really hard to cheer for this organization.
Bill
June 12th, 2010
12:39 am
Another Paul Hewitt..BS!
Just no winners in Atlanta.
Jeff D.
June 12th, 2010
12:47 am
MsDee, Amen
ALEXANDER
June 12th, 2010
12:47 am
GREAT HIRE AND THIS IS WHY THIS TEAM WAS PUT TOGETHER TO RUN RUN AND GUN AND COACH DREW LOVE TO RUN PLUS WHAT WAS WE GOING TO DO WITH NO CAP SPACE WE NEED TO STOCK OUR BENCH SIGN JJ AND TRADE HIS ASS BRING CHILL BACK SIGN NAT DOG.IF WE RUN WE CAN GET BYE WITH OUT WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A TRUE CENTER I THINK WE CAN WIN ABOUT 50 GAME NEXT YEAR..LET GIVE COACH DREW A CHANCE PLUS WE NEED TO GIVE MARK PRICE A FULL TIME JOB..LET THE GAME BEGAIN
Xs & 0s
June 12th, 2010
12:53 am
GREAT HIRE!!! ALL YOU HATERS – TOO BAD YOU WILL CONVENIENTLY FORGET YOUR DISGUST WHEN WE ADVANCE IN THE PLAYOFFS AND WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. BUT WE FORGIVE YOU – IN ADVANCE. WE WILL MAKE ROOM FOR YOU (AGAIN) ON THE DREW BANDWAGON. GO HAWKS!!!
George Bush
June 12th, 2010
1:13 am
buullllsshhiiiitttttttt
lexluther
June 12th, 2010
1:34 am
Again I think Coach Drew will be an upgrade from Woody. The league has switch again were point guards are a hot item. Being a former point himself, I think he will make sure that Teague gets the summer work he needs to run this ball team. Albet I think Bibby is out of his league, his experience and leadership will be valuable for Teague as he make that transistion. Now, getting Josh to stay in his lane, Marvin to play with some balls, Al to continue to be the beast, a true center, no more Iso Joe, and a strong deep bench will be another issue for the Coach to deal with. It starts with Teague. Can the kid really be as good as they predict him to be? He can make the new Coach look good or like Woody in a heartbeat. I really believe that Coach Drew will take this point guard to the side and give him the business. He has the skills, speed and ability to be great. Let’s hope he can deliver. I want to believe that Joe will resign but than again, I want to believe in the HAWKS.
bruck
June 12th, 2010
1:36 am
lets give dis guy a chance if he doesnt fare well than we fire him but every coach has 2 start from somewhere right
Hawks Fan In Orleans
June 12th, 2010
1:47 am
Wow. kinda of anti-climactic been that BK attempted to make this very move 2 years ago but was stopped by non other than the ASG. This is not the sexy pick but who cares as long as we develope a decent offensive scheme to go with all this talent. Plus Jamal Crawford’s rationale was as good as any: Drew knows the ends and outs of this team, the flaws and the tweaks that need to be made to make us a better squad. Good Luck to Drew.
Hawks Fan In Orleans
June 12th, 2010
1:49 am
BTW – Sund wanted Casey IMO – ASG chose Drew – idiots should have gave the green light back in 08 we may have won a game in Boston
DJrock
June 12th, 2010
2:17 am
This is not good at all. We(the fans) can’t never get what we want from any of our atlanta teams. He needs to win the press conference and say fans I understand your concerns. I didn’t know what Mike Woodson was doing as a coach either. Lord Help Us!!!!!!!!!
tale of woe
June 12th, 2010
5:21 am
We waited all this time for this? Ugh!
Brad
June 12th, 2010
5:58 am
One reason $$, they could get Drew on the cheap. The ASG group is happy with crap BB.