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
Melvin
June 12th, 2010
9:56 am
We believe the ASG made the right coaching hire and we are not saying money was a factor either…:)
Gary Washburn: Nba source: drews deal with ATL between 1.2 and 1.5 mil per yr. Amongst leagues lowest paid coaches — boston globe
Ric Bucher: Doesn’t seem right that Izzo could make $6mil a yr while Thibodeau is at $2mill per in Chi + Larry Drew will make $1.5mill per in Atl.
Sam Amick: A source close to Atlanta’s coaching search says Larry Drew’s contract will be for two guaranteed years between $1.2 and $1.3 million.
lingering oder from Sund's brain fart...
June 12th, 2010
9:56 am
I feel you ramon, its not about trying to win championships. It about marshmallows, tulips and a kinder gentler approach. Who cares if we done win championship what counts is that we had a chance to play. Thats what important. Some one has to be a door matt so why not our hawks.
Native Son
June 12th, 2010
9:57 am
Big Ray: I second that emotion. especially the ugly, but sometimes lethal & timely 3 pointer.
An aside here…….anyone else notice that Marvin has the mannerisms of one Chris Washburn? Hmmm?
lingering oder from Sund's brain fart...
June 12th, 2010
9:58 am
HOW DOES THIS MAKE THE HAWKS A BETTER TEAM AND GETS THEM CLOSER TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP RING.
michael
June 12th, 2010
10:01 am
Why, why, why didn’t the Hawks sign Paul Hewitt??? My Tech team was counting on this!
Dashizz357
June 12th, 2010
10:04 am
Hawks don’t want to win, just look at what Cleveland’s offered Coach Izzo. The Hawks want to play with the Cleveland’s and Boston’s but have yet to make a quality move.Hawks just don’t want to invest in quality coaches or players but they want us the fan to invest our hard earned money into a subpar team & unheard coaching staff with NO head coaching experience………Wow, nothing against coach Drew I wish him the best, but he’s not the answer. Let me guess the next more, lose Joe Johnson & bring back Childress, I wonder how much the owners will SAVE with that move…………I’m done!
Mikefalcon63
June 12th, 2010
10:11 am
Typical of ASG… Let’s find the cheapest option to put in place. Way to thank what fans you have ASG. Bunch of losers who only care about $. Hawks will never be a contender.
Iceman
June 12th, 2010
10:12 am
Rot in heck, Atlanta Spirit.
Darrin "The Vent King"
June 12th, 2010
10:15 am
The Atlanta Hawks should hang a banner outside Phillips Arena that says:
“The more things change, the more they stay the same…”
Bill Stanfill
June 12th, 2010
10:17 am
Like some of the others, my main concern is can Drew be tough enough? Can he be firm with players when he needs to be? Will he put Josh Smith on the bench when he’s pouting and loafing?
Can he be a strong leader? Drew knows the game. We’ll see if he can step up and be a head coach.
Big A Hawks Fan
June 12th, 2010
10:28 am
Been a Hawks, Falcons and Braves season ticket holder for a long time and this is the most interesting decision I have seen! Leave it to the ASG to leave me saying “Wow!” Once again it shows that not everyone with money is smart! Does the “Silver Spoon” theory apply here?
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
June 12th, 2010
10:29 am
Melvin
June 11th, 2010
10:41 pm
ha,ha… now we know who place the knife in Woody’s back….lol
Link
Report this comment
……………………..
LMAO
Bill
June 12th, 2010
10:35 am
Why change coaches? The material is on hand to challenge for the NBA championship. Now, the Hawks will delay their progress by selecting someone with no head coaching. Someone who is going to take a year or two to adjust and adapt to learn how to lead from the bench! It’s also a bad sign if the players like him!
Grhone
June 12th, 2010
10:36 am
What’s so hard about giving this guy a chance? At least he knows the team.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
June 12th, 2010
10:37 am
Sources: “Drew sold soul to acquire HC Job in Atlanta.”
big b
June 12th, 2010
10:48 am
make sure we keep Mark Price as an asst coach
freshd
June 12th, 2010
10:52 am
I like the choice and I think DREW will be a great coach. He also has a son around the age of some of the hawks young guys so I think he will be able to relate to them and be firm when he has to. By the way, his son could start for the HAWKS at PG. Lets hope he brings in some new assistant coaches to bring a new look to the team.
Sautee
June 12th, 2010
10:54 am
Irrespective of which of the three were chosen, my reaction would be the same:
Wait until you actually SEE the team play.
Those who are wallowing in negativity are foolishly wasting their energy. It’s a lot like young children not getting their way.
But for those who seem to need hope, I’ll offer this thought:
Pat Riley and Phil Jackson were both assistant coaches who were promoted from within. Combined they have 14 rings.
O'Brien
June 12th, 2010
10:56 am
Did TS say woody was “grooming Larry drew”? That’s funny. Is your boss at work grooming you?
Big ray,
Didn’t Avery Johnson sign a 3 year deal too?
As for drew’s 2 year deal, bulls also gave vinny a 2 year, so it does happen. I do think drew should get a 3 year deal though
lewis
June 12th, 2010
10:58 am
I thought the hawks shoulda interviewed Vinny
Melvin
June 12th, 2010
11:07 am
Marc Stein makes some good points….
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-freeagency-100612/coaching-carousel
i_am_soulstar
June 12th, 2010
11:09 am
I read that they gave him a 3 year contract on Yahoo Sports, although they’ve proved to be error-prone on occasion. I just wannna see the press conference. I’m pretty sure the journalists will have some of the same questions we have and I’d like to see what Drew’s ideas are and what was so impressive about his interview.
Dashizz357
June 12th, 2010
11:12 am
Josh Smith is gonna eat this guy for lunch……LOL……I want to see if Drew has the BALLS to sit Bibby & start Teague.
Floze
June 12th, 2010
11:22 am
I feel as though I traded in my Camry for an Accord.
doc
June 12th, 2010
11:30 am
sautee, what does the other side of the coin look like? you know, the one that measures how many flops there were as assistant coaches who took over from their predecessors? not saying drew cant geterdun, just saying, this smells of cash deficiency, once again.
cant wait to hear the behind the scenes reaction from the hawks players.
still more to come in the summer of 2010. drama, love it nba style.
ILL-logical
June 12th, 2010
11:41 am
Congratulations Coach Drew. You are embarking on a challenging journey that offers a great risk-reward ratio. The next couple of years will be a trying time for you and your family as you make the adjustments to your new status and its attendant responsibilities and demands.However, the success that every Hawks fan desires is within reach as well. Best wishes and good luck!
lewis
June 12th, 2010
11:41 am
Who runs Phoenix offense better?
Amare, Lopez, Richardson, Nash, Hill
Smith, Horford, Williams or Childress, Teague, JJ or replacement?
Keep in mind they can actually go to their bench.
Big Ray
June 12th, 2010
12:00 pm
Truth Serum ,
I don’t know for sure if this was even Sund’s decision. I know Avery was talked to about the job three times (reportedly). I know that all of the candidates were put in front of the owners by Sund. This likely came down to what the owners wanted, not what Sund ultimately wanted, but it’s Sund’s job to take the heat.
I can’t say that Drew will fail or succeed, I can only watch. What I do like is that he knows this team, and a stranger wouldn’t have that advantage. As for Sund, he has his work cut out for him this summer, ESPECIALLY if Joe Johnson does not stick around.
I don’t think promoting Drew was necessarily a step backwards, but time will prove that to be wrong or right. We shall see. However, whether or not Joe re-signs, and what Sund does to offset that if he doesn’t, will have a huge impact on whether this team goes backwards or forwards. Not to say that Drew won’t impact this as well, but you just can’t replace on court production.
drmaryb
June 12th, 2010
12:11 pm
Blue – Ray
(Sharper Image)
736 & 747 AM POSTS: Get ‘Em! That’s what a real blogger do!
Lock on them ears and bite ‘em! Spankin’ the kids is – Rich.
Negative emotions and hating is unfortunately a big part of our society. The blog simply gives us a population sample of the larger group. Most people in general are losers and they expect to lose before the game even begins.
I call them Natural Born Losers or Born to Lose. It”s NOT an attitude – no, it’s a personality disorder. What do I mean?
Thoughts create Words
Words create Actions
Actions create Character
Your character determines your Destiny.
And, that’s for real! drmaryb is gonna always – Keep it Real!
My fellow bloggers, really THINK before you speak! You quality of LIFE depends on it! You can choose to be happy or miserable. Keeping it in perspective – it’s just Basketball & is for Entertainment. Purposes only!
No one is dead on account of ASG? If hiring Larry Drew makes you mad? You have more serious issues to deal with …. $90 per hour & a firm couch might be a good place to start.
I’m just sayin’.
Big Ray
June 12th, 2010
12:12 pm
O’brien ,
A 3 year deal is the norm, the median, the average. You don’t see 4 and 5 year deals happen all that often. Not even with the bigger guns, sometimes. The deal for Larry Drew is two years guaranteed, with an option for the third year.
Is he getting paid a few bucks less than the other guys (Thibodeau, Izzo if he signs, and some others)? Yeah. Should that be the focus? No. I’ll say it again: Scott Brooks won Coach of the Year. It got him a 2 year extension and probably not a top 10 paycheck. This is the nature of the business. While a coach’s salary doesn’t count against the cap, it still counts against the budget of the ownership.
The day I start complaining about a coach’s salary is the day we lose a good coach because we don’t pay him enough. Until then…I’m more concerned how much we spend for a good player. If you ask me, there wasn’t a single coach out there that was available, that was worth big money. That includes Avery Johnson, who IMHO owes part of his winning record to inheriting a very talented team with a superstar already on it….
O'Brien
June 12th, 2010
12:20 pm
I think another positive for drew is he has a better idea about JJ’s likes and dislikes. A new Guy Would not know.
MC’s article talks about some of these issues (chemistry, lack of accountability, favoritism, too many ISO joes ).
Drew knows first hand, so that gives him a head start
Ramon
June 12th, 2010
12:30 pm
Big Ray, if the budget for coaching staff is $10 mil, I’d rather have the HC take up as least as possible, so the assistant staff can be as good and deep as possible. Maybe now the Hawks can afford that advance scout that they haven’t had.
ASG is cheap!
June 12th, 2010
12:48 pm
F*** ASG, I will never spend my hard earned money on a mediocre product like the Hawks. I’m not surprised though, outside of the Falcons, Atlanta sports has the worst owners in all of sports. We needed a new voice, but decided on a voice that has been here all along. We needed a new identity, but it was an epic fail. I hope all Hawks fans see what ASG is about and continues to leave Phillips Arena empty. After 23 years of rooting for the Hawks, I’m finished. Thanks ASG, take your a$$es back to Boston.
JeJe
June 12th, 2010
1:07 pm
“Marvin was both Woody and Billy’s pick. Back when they were agreeing on things, that is. CP3 was considered too small, Deron too slow, and Rondo without a jumpshot”
Rondo wasn’t in that draft.
Every coach needs to look at what Doc Rivers is doing. His BENCH was playing well so the STARTERS requested for the BENCH to stay in. When was the last time Joe or Josh did something like that?
I really want to see an article about Drew’s philosophies and what he plans to do. he is not making any money as a coach (1.3 is garbage money for a coach) so I hope he still works hard
wuffe
June 12th, 2010
1:08 pm
I eat and breath NBA basketball. As a fan.. I want to welcome Larry Drew to the Hawks. Please do not listen to the fans as they throw coach Woodson under the bus. Coach Woodson , an Honorable man gave his all to the Hawks in the last 5 years and left a 53 game winner. Perhaps Coach Drew will leave the defensive aspect of the team in place as this was Woodys strong suit and you will add your Offense which you are known for. Sadly, the previous coach did not have the tools to work with as you will soon learn , a true center and a point guard. The GM drafted poorly. I assure you Teague will answer the call at PG and Rick Sund will not jeapordize his new choice of coach and will find you a Center. Dont worry if Joe Johnson leaves as we need a player with more fire. We need to use our max on a Rudy Gay. Teague and Rudy Gay back court . Now thats fire.
Section 303
June 12th, 2010
1:09 pm
Melvin, that was a good link. Great read.
I’m firmly in the group that does not care if Joe Johnson resigns or not. If the organization has to “sell him” on Coach Drew, then he can just leave. And, if he does come back, he owes season ticket holders an apology. I won’t get past the comments that retard made until I hear “I’m sorry” come out of his mouth.
Truth Serum
June 12th, 2010
1:09 pm
*almost aways win.
Section 303
June 12th, 2010
1:10 pm
wuffe, good post. Don’t know if I agree on Rudy Gay, but don’t know if I disagree, either.
drmaryb
June 12th, 2010
1:12 pm
Truth Serum
Dang! Is it Sunday? Because T-Serum is spitting the –
“Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth – so, help me God!”
Amen! …….. From the congregation.
Grandad
June 12th, 2010
1:14 pm
drmaryb: I saw you on board & I needed to ask;
Have you read “The Shack” yet?
Let me know when you finish…Love, G-dad.
I also need to clarify my remarks from yesterday:
I wish LD all the success in the world.
Just as I did Woody [when he began].
My disappointment was not from the hiring of
Larry Drew but the entangled way that it came about.
The poor guy could not even get his 1st job, being promoted
by the home team with trumpets sounding. Only bickering
followed by crickets chirping just before the collective – Huh?.
I truly want the man to succeed.
But I’m puzzled:
owners – He’s our Alvin Gentry ???.
Alvin Gentry had the opportunity to fail [HC] , learn, fail again,
learn again under D’Antoni before he was given a 3rd chance in PHX.
LD learning what [?] under the master [ahem] Woodson.
Big Ray & Sautee I want you to know that I am pullin’ for ‘Larry’.
2 yrs. guaranteed @ 1.2 easily bought out if Doc is available after
a 1 yr hiatus. Or even as a 1.2 mil. asst. to Doc in his [LD's]
(yr.2) pre-arranged ??? something to chew on.
*Hatter* – you perked me up, my friend !
“But then reality sets in and I realize that this is a ‘BRAIN FART” OF GASTRIC PORPORTIONS!” * that was funny *
ballhawker
June 12th, 2010
1:23 pm
@ Daviddecatur
Byron Scott led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals twice without a superstar on the roster.He also took the Hornets deep into the playoffs. Scott can flat out coach, on the flip side he is a no- nonsense coach. It appears that some players and organizations has BLACK_BALLED him.It is odd that out of the four in need of a coach, no one interviewed him.Go figure.
Ken Strickland
June 12th, 2010
1:29 pm
The Hawks won 53 gms last yr, finished 3rd in the East and swept the Celtics. The Celtics won 50 gms, finished 4th in the East and was swept by the Hawks.
I want all of you delusional WOODY LOVERS to be honest with yourselves and answer honestly.
(1) Would you rather settle for what the Hawks accomplished during the regular season compared to the Celtics, or
(2) Would you rather settle for what the Celtics are currently accomplished during the playoffs?
I don’t see how you can configure your mouths to say you want the Hawks to be an elite and/or championship caliber team, and at the same time say we should have rehired HC MWoodson, after 2yrs of seeing his gross incompetence as a playoff caliber HC.
Woodson is gone, and LDrew is our new HC, so get use to it. Woodson will eventually get another job with a team that wants to rebuild, and he’ll take them as far as he can. Hopefully, he’ll learn from his mistakes and become a better HC, I certainly hope so.
Under LDrew, the Hawks will be committed to running the ball. They will also be committed to developing and playing young, quick, fast and athletic PG’s, and won’t make stupid, bone headed excuses for not doing so. You will see us use more than a 6-7 man rotation, and probably more pick and rolls, rather than ISO’s. We’ll certainly be a better DEF team, and there will be more imagination and options to our half court OFF.
Now, some of you are probably asking yourselves, how in the hell does he know all of this. Well, common sense tells me that Sund and the ASG discussed this with Drew. And since these were some of the Hawks primary problems, a solution to these problems had to be mandated before any decision was made on who they hired.
Everyone but Woodson and his WOODY LOVERS knew the Hawks were at their offensive best when they ran, and were at their defensive worst with Bibby at PG. Making Teague the primary PG, getting Marvin back on track, upgrading our half court OFF, and developing and utilizing our bench more effectively, will automatically make us a much much better team overall.
When we get JJ resigned, we’ll be the team to beat in the East. And all of you negative minded haters, who want the team to fail just because the ASG didn’t hire the HC you wanted, I hope you suffer throughout the entire season. Larry Drew might not be an entirely different voice, but he’ll present an entirely different mindset and way of getting things done. He’ll also bring with him the positive things the team had become accustomed. I think the players had a lot to do with why LDrew was hired.
Grandad
June 12th, 2010
1:32 pm
*Hatter*
I only intended to post once today.
(exception being a response to Mary Ellen)
But I must say that was your most;
lucid, well thought out, and presented posting
since you and I have become friends.
I will not parse points with you today my friend.
‘TS’ – I would like to encourage you to read:
“The Shack”
by ‘William P. Young’
It’s not a basketball book about nor the autobiography of:
Shaquille O’Neal
In all seriousness – if you get a chance.
Sincerely, G-dad.
Hawks???
June 12th, 2010
1:33 pm
Congratulations! I wish him the very best of luck… cuz he’s gonna need it.
ceejay
June 12th, 2010
1:35 pm
It goes to show The Atlanta Spirit never intended to spend money on a proven coach anyway! It was a dog and pony show parading Avery, Casey, and Scott. Truth is the spirit don’t have the finances for any of the top candidates. This isn’t a Sund hiring but rather a move by the ownership. You know Sund wanted Avery or Casey because they were interviewed several times by Sund. Drew came at the end as a quick fix to an embarassing saga for the spirit yet again! We might as well have kept Woody if we were going to get someone from his camp. What this team needs is someone who won’t cater to Joe! Someone who can make Marvin be the talent he should be as a former number 2 pick. Someone who will push Josh to all star status!! Maybe mr. Drew will surprise me because making the playoffs and exiting early every season isn’t progress just a regressing of an organization so close but so far away!!!
O'Brien
June 12th, 2010
1:36 pm
Truth serum,
When you are grooming somebody, you give them more responsibility, like what doc did with thibodeau in boston. Not only was thibodeau responsible for the defense, he also shared some of the coaching duties.
When you are grooming somebody, you give them more input, use some of their suggestions.
It is widely reported how stubborn Woody was. And Woody himself sad he ignores his assistants advice.
Does that sound like grooming to you?
Now, some of you are probably asking yourselves,
June 12th, 2010
1:37 pm
Is this woody hater a fool or an idiot…My friends I say both!
Atlanta Hawks Pick Larry Drew as Next Coach | EURweb
June 12th, 2010
1:37 pm
[...] staff for the 2004-05 season. Drew played 714 games over 10 NBA seasons from 1980-91.Read more HERE. (No Ratings Yet) Loading [...]
Truth-Serum
June 12th, 2010
1:43 pm
O’brien perhaps you care to circulate some of the widely reported literature you refer to.
drmaryb Thanks for the shout out. Amen back at cha!
Grandad Its going to be a very interesting season for basketball. Im still searching for the rationale for this hire. Doesnt matter much. This is it. What you see is what you get. My question on the table is “are the Hawks better now than the culmination of the past few season’s . If you make a directional change it has to be upward.
Rick Sund
June 12th, 2010
1:44 pm
count cadence, count ….triple to the rea…rr M A R C H!!