Hawks’ Sund lacks string of great coaching hires in past
Dick Motta was a great choice as the Dallas Mavericks' first head coach. (Dallas Morning News photo)
(Updated: 1:40 p.m.)
We’ve established that Rick Sund has a difficult offseason in front of him (new coaching hire, Joe Johnson, potential roster remake). We’ve kicked around the names of potential candidates (some legitimate, some suspect) to replace potential candidates to replace Mike Woodson.
But here’s something we really haven’t addressed: How adept has Sund been when it comes to hiring coaches?
Answer: Overall, not very.
In his time as general manager and front office executive for three previous NBA franchises (Dallas, Detroit, Seattle), Sund has hired or inherited and kept 11 head coaches (not including Woodson). Here’s a brief synopsis of each with a final grade (thanks to the advantage of hindsight).
♦ 1. Dick Motta (Dallas, 1980-87): Motta was a veteran coach, having won an NBA title with the Washington Bullets. He helped grow the expansion Mavericks and improved them every season, although they could not get past the second round of the playoffs. GRADE: A.
♦ 2. John McLeod (Dallas, 1987-89): Also a veteran coach who had reached the finals with Phoenix. In his first season with Dallas, McLeod coached the team into the Western Conference finals (Sund’s only conference finals appearance). But the Mavs failed to make the playoffs the following year and Sund surprisingly fired him only 11 games into the 1989-90 season. GRADE: C.
♦ 3. Richie Adubato (Dallas, 1989-93). This started a string of colossal failures by Sund. Adubato mostly had been an assistant, with one unsuccessful year as head coach in Detroit. He made the playoffs in his first season with Dallas but exited quickly. In the next two-plus seasons, the Mavericks went 52-141. He was fired after a 2-27 start in 1992-93. GRADE: F.
Quinn Buckner made the mistake of trying to emulate the ways of Bob Knight, his former college coach.
♦ 4. Gar Heard (Dallas, 1993): He took over as interim in 1993 and couldn’t stop the downward spiral. Record: 9-44. GRADE: Incomplete.
♦ 5. Quinn Buckner (Dallas, 1993-94): The grease fire of Sund’s hires. Buckner, who had no coaching experience, attempted to replicate the dictatorial ways of his college coach, Bob Knight. Didn’t go well. Dallas started the season 1-23 and finished 13-69. When it was over, Sund was gone too. GRADE: F.
♦ 6. Doug Collins (Detroit, 1995-98): Collins had a decent coaching run in Chicago but couldn’t win a title. He was replaced by his assistant, some guy named Phil Jackson. Collins lost in the first round twice in two seasons with the Pistons, then was fired in year three following a 21-24 start. GRADE: C.
♦ 7. Alvin Gentry (Detroit, 1998-00): Gentry is having a great run with Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. That wasn’t the case in Detroit. He mostly was a well-traveled assistant (save for one season as head coach in Miami) before he took over for Collins. The Pistons missed the playoffs in that first year and made a quick postseason exit the following season. Gentry was gone after a 28-30 start in 2000-01. GRADE: C-minus.
♦ 8. George Irvine (Detroit, 2000-01): Sund’s time in Detroit clearly was running out (the Pistons hired Joe Dumars as vice president of basketball operations in 2000). Hiring Irvine didn’t help his cause. Irvine’s record: 46-60. After the season, he and Sund both were gone. GRADE: F.
Bob Weiss represented one of Sund's biggest coaching mistakes.
♦ 9. Nate McMillan (Seattle, 2001-05): Sund inherited McMillan, who had taken over as interim the previous season. He kept him. The Sonics made the playoffs in two of the next four seasons and won 52 games and a division title in 2004-05. But after the season, he opted to leave for Portland, taking a reported five-year, $30 million offer over Seattle’s four-year, $18 million deal. GRADE: B.
♦ 10. Bob Weiss (Seattle, 2005-06): The only explanation is that when McMillan left, Sund went insane. Bob Weiss? He was fired after 30 games (13-17). GRADE: F.
♦ 11. Bob Hill (Seattle, 2006-07). A step up from Weiss. But not by much. Totals: 53-81 in a season and a half, no playoffs. Neither Hill nor Sund (who had several draft mistakes in Seattle) survived. GRADE: D.
Many believe Sund had it right when he said the Hawks needed a new coach to take them to the next level. To find that guy, he’ll need a bit of a turnaround.
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92 comments Add your comment
Brian
May 26th, 2010
11:02 pm
No
Brian
May 26th, 2010
11:03 pm
Primo
Harry
May 26th, 2010
11:03 pm
egh…
KC in Smyrna
May 26th, 2010
11:09 pm
Even more proof that Sund needs to hire Avery Johnson and get out the way.
Reid Adair
May 26th, 2010
11:12 pm
Great article, Jeff. I had not gone back and researched how many coaches Rick Sund had hired. You’re right. Looking at that history, there’s not much reason to have a lot of confidence
oldbird
May 26th, 2010
11:32 pm
scary. looks like instead of griping about not getting past the second round, we’ll be griping about not making the playoffs at all. Yuck.
Jeff Schultz
May 26th, 2010
11:34 pm
K.C. in Smyrna — Agree. Of all the names I’ve heard, Avery Johnson certainly seems to carry the least risk.
Jeff Schultz
May 26th, 2010
11:35 pm
Thanks Reid. It honestly wasn’t my intent to come up with something depressing. I just was curious.
S Hawk Fan
May 26th, 2010
11:39 pm
Wow!!! Not a great track record and what makes anyone think that it will change?
wxwax
May 26th, 2010
11:41 pm
Gaaah!
I wish you hadn’t posted this. You just drained all my confidence in Sund. That’s a horrible, horrible history of picking coaches.
Still, if his history is any indication, Sund’s next hire could also be his last.
As an aside, I was in DC when Motta won the NBA championship with the Bullets. Great days. “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.” And she sang!
Jeff Schultz
May 26th, 2010
11:47 pm
S Hawk Fan and Wxwax — I haven’t given up hope. But obviously any coaching hire is a risk. … That was great old school NBA in Washington: Unseld, Dandridge and The Big E.
KC in Smyrna
May 26th, 2010
11:52 pm
Jeff, I just looked at that list again. ATL Spirit needs to fly to Bristol and kidnap Avery this very moment. If wonder if we can find a way to get this list to the owners. With the Hawks luck, it’ll will result in Belkin Round 2.
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Najeh Davenpoop
May 27th, 2010
12:03 am
You could just say “Hawks’ Sund lacks string of greatness in past”. Sund’s entire career is defined by mediocrity. For every hit, there’s a miss. I think it’s pretty telling that his best coaching hire never advanced further than Woodson in the playoffs.
I didn’t like the hiring of Sund when it happened a couple of years ago, and he’s been predictably hit-or-miss so far (trading for Crawford and signing Flip and Mo were good, overpaying Bibby, Marvin, and Zaza were bad).
Gravy Train
May 27th, 2010
12:07 am
Excellent information Mr. Schultz. Good read on muggy yet still cool Wednesday night.
Sund needs to be worried about getting a big man with a good midrange jumper. That’s the safety valve in a great offense, regardless of the coach. Johnson is used to coaching a team with a big dude named Dirk. Food for thought….
Gravy Train
May 27th, 2010
12:08 am
Enter your comments here
Kane337
May 27th, 2010
12:09 am
Oh boy, after reading this Sund should not make a risk hire with an assistant. Go with the safe bet Avery Johnson. Less chance of failure.
Kane337
May 27th, 2010
12:10 am
By the way, nice research Schultz. Thanks for this info.
HawkKingBibby
May 27th, 2010
12:16 am
Hey this is a great one J.S. Im glad you didnt sugar coat it and spoke the truth. I guess if you look at the glass half full Sund is due for a good hire right.
MsDee
May 27th, 2010
12:34 am
WOW after reading this article, I say Avery Johnson should def get the coaching job..come on Sund, dont continue to make the same mistake. And even if Avery doesnt get us to the promise land, at least u wont be the blame for hiring an experience/veteran coach.
dr.maryb
May 27th, 2010
12:48 am
Mr. Bradley
Very nice work on this editorial! Thank You!
Baseed on this research & Mr. Sund’s track record?
I like Nate McMillan for the Hawks next Coach along with Mr. A. Johnson.
Is Mr. McMillan under contract now? If NOT – I wonder why? He was COY in Toronto.
dr.maryb
May 27th, 2010
12:51 am
Ms. Dee
WOW! Co-Sign that!
I saoid the EXACT same thing on MC’s blog earlier today.
You HOT girl! You HOT!
Matt Jones
May 27th, 2010
12:58 am
Oh for the love of Pete, just hire Johnson! Don’t make the same mistake you made with Rivers years ago. Hire the person who WANTS to be here.
JSS
May 27th, 2010
1:08 am
I almost choked on my delicious Wahoo’s Fish Taco! As this has been one of the favorite subjects of those regulars of Sekou (mighty mighty) and the distinguished Michael Cunningham (hail to the Beat Chief)… Clyde would say “Fire Woody!” And in my mind, I would see Sund’s doppleganger: Bob Weiss! I would feel the Highlight Factory breaking apart over a far off deserted island… Hawk fans would plunge into the sea and scramble for their lives… Suddenly I wake up, but a smoke monster surrounds us, it takes the form of Rick Sund… It promises us championships, but will it? Are we dead or is it reality? FADE TO BLACK
MsDee
May 27th, 2010
1:18 am
dr.maryb,
Thx..i just hope Sund reads this too and go on and hire him already so that JJ and the others can mentally plan themselves correctly over the off season and also for some fans (me included) could buy season tks for the 1st time since being a fans back in the 80’s!
tony
May 27th, 2010
1:26 am
Mr.Sund need to hire a championship caliber coach and surround him with high IQ basketball players.
Whopper Dawg
May 27th, 2010
1:32 am
The truth about the Hawks is this:
They were so bad for so long, they eventually hit on some players through the draft when they had a lotto pick every year. Sheer numbers would allow a high school sophomore to do as well in the draft (I will not address the obvious and glaring oversight of drafting Williams over two all pro point guards).
Those talents have risen the Hawks to the middle of the NBA pack. The real trick and where you need real skill, is to take the franchise to the next level. Most teams, probably 24 out of the 30, and if you look at this year’s playoffs, 26 out of 30, don’t have a chance when the first ball is tipped. Can Sund and whoever he hires as coach fix that? I don’t think so. What you need to be prepared for is slippage back down deeper in the pack, reload on lotto, and hope that the new GM will make the appropriate choices. I think that this cycle is on the way down.
In the past 30 years, 30, only 8 teams have been champs, if you throw out one timers, the number is 6. You really think that Sund is going to get you in the club? Don’t think so.
Dr. Warren
May 27th, 2010
1:35 am
Jeff–nice piece and some revealing research you’ve put together. In academic circles, we’d encourage you to publish it in the NBA Quarterly. Of course, the top NBA specialists at Stanford, Chicago, Yale, and Duke would deconstruct it and conclude that there’s a 34% chance he’s learned from all of those errors and will get it right this time. Others would point to the fact that the one time he did well he’d inherited McMillan, just as he did well inheriting Woody. They’d say we’re doomed. Professor Bradley makes a compelling case for Casey, but his case lacks such telling data and support. I’d say you’re getting closer to tenure, my friend. Good job.
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Dr. Warren
May 27th, 2010
1:40 am
A $10 Million Education
(Maybe there is a silver lining for Sund after all those mistakes).
When Tom Watson Jr. was chief executive of IBM in the early 1960s, he summoned an executive to his office after the man lost $10 million in a venture. Watson asked the man, “Do you know why I called you here?” Knowing of Watson’s legendary temper, the man replied: “I assume you’re going to fire me.”
“Fire you?” Watson asked. “I spent $10 million educating you. I just want to be sure you learned the right lessons.”
TommyJack
May 27th, 2010
2:01 am
Not sure there’s a good choice out there.
truthspitter
May 27th, 2010
2:15 am
Conspiracy. Im starting to think Sund could have been brought here to do the same thing he did in Seattle, run a franchise into the ground to the point of it moving to another city, I will move to St. Louis if Hawks move back considering I’m thinking about moving there or KC anyway. Atl is too spaced out they really need a better transit system. As for the Hawks, they are not ambitious enough to go and get a C, New Orleans is so caught up in needing to get under the luxury threshold they would be willing to do something for Okafor, maybe Marvin and Zaza for Okafor and Collison, maybe not, but you gotta try. Also, I would not mind taking on Brands contract for a chance at the #2 pick. Marvin, Zaza, our 1st round pick and Jamal’s expiring could get that done.
Truthfully, the coach is not going to win any games for this team, we need to change the personnel by adding some quality players, our bench is garbage outside of Jamal, we really only have 4 impact players if you believe Bibby is basically done and if you know Marvin is garbage. He definitely should not be even thinking about the Casey guy. Avery is the only person they have spoke to with a good track record, I would not mind seeing Laimbeer get a look but he should not be thinking Casey here.
Lastly, minus the Championship this guys reign seems a lot like Woody and I think 5 years from now must of you that speak such hate about Woody will realize that he did a damn good job.1. Dick Motta (Dallas, 1980-87): Motta was a veteran coach, having won an NBA title with the Washington Bullets. He helped grow the expansion Mavericks and improved them every season, although they could not get past the second round of the playoffs. GRADE: A.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 27th, 2010
3:05 am
drmaryb, you are confusing Nate McMillan (a good coach who is currently employed by the Portland Trail Blazers) with Sam Mitchell (an average coach who is sitting on his azz at home after being fired by the Toronto Raptors).
Atlanta Hawks - Page 46 - iSTORYA.NET
May 27th, 2010
3:27 am
[...] [...]
Fluffy McNutter
May 27th, 2010
3:28 am
I remembered a few of those hires, but man, that’s a terrible list. My confidence in Sund making a great hire this time around just took another hit. I wasn’t confident in the first place, but now even less so.
Avery Johnson would seem to be the safest hire. I’m not quite sure he’s all that he’s cracked up to be, but I’d take him over the names that have been thrown around so far. Casey’s track record/credentials don’t impress me at all. I’d rather see them go with Avery Johnson or else a promising assistant coach that has never been a head coach in the NBA.
SecondSage
May 27th, 2010
5:15 am
We don’t need a safe hire. We need a home run. It’s a possibility Sund has learned from his mistakes. By the way, Woodson was not his hire and he improved the team each year. Therefore, the Woodson situation couldn’t have been handled any other way. The trades and signings he made were right on time. He is due to hit the mark on a coach.
Stop all the options of trading Zaza.
Marcus (aka decatur g)
May 27th, 2010
5:32 am
ugh. Sund = Elizabeth Taylor of NBA coaching hires
I hope he has learned some things. Looks like he slightly favors hiring asst. coaches over retreads.
Coach D
May 27th, 2010
5:49 am
The question here is really, “Who was available to be hired as head coach?” Granted, while it seems like almost anyone would have done better than the coaches he hired, you’ve got to wonder who he passed up on. Tell me he’s not going to hire a “Bobby Petrino” while passing on a “Sean Payton” as the Falcons did a few years ago….
bob
May 27th, 2010
5:56 am
Yerttle, I mean Jeff Schultz, I mean Bob Weiss coached here in the darkest days, the “Kak” era. He was brought in by Guerin Sr. Could we be coming full circle?
gmoney
May 27th, 2010
7:01 am
Seems to me after reading this that Rick Sund should be fired.
BugKiller
May 27th, 2010
7:11 am
Wouldn’t Dwayne Casey be the most logical choice (and closest to what Alvin Gentry has become in Phoenix)?
Avery Johnson will just be another Doug Collins.
Avery Johnson took Dallas, one of the most talented teams in the NBA, and couldn’t get past the first round.
Dwayne Casey took the Minnesota Timberwolves, a HORRIBLE team, and had them playing hard every night, playing with passion, playing with energy, and best yet, playing SMART (a problem this Hawks team has every night).
Schultz, I agree with many things you say, but this time Bradley is right.
Dwayne Casey is the best man to lead this Hawks team.
I mean, REALLY look at what he did in Minnesota and how that team, which was 2003-Hawks-bad, played for him.
MannyT
May 27th, 2010
7:57 am
If Sund has learned from his years of experience, there should be a very insightful coaching hire. However, we probably need to give it a little time to work. Probably the best argument for Casey was that he did ok in his time at Minnesota and the next guy did far worse with the same roster.
I would like to see one of the Adelmaniacs (Elson Turner, Jack Sikma) at least get one of those fine phone interviews.
…and if I recall @BugKiller…Avery Johnson did have Dallas in the NBA Finals. That is air that has never been smelled here.
What will Sund do? WWSD
dagnabit
May 27th, 2010
8:15 am
Have not paid any attention to the Hawks in years. Enjoyed the article though.
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
8:16 am
Mr. Schultz. thank you for the credentials. I hope he certainly takes his time and appoints someone who takes this team a step better than coach Woodson. You and I know that Atlanta fans do not want to see another dissapointment, otherwise, he will be taking a midnight train out of Georgia. It is a daunting task, and I wish best of luck.
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
8:24 am
Mr. Schultz, I know that Larry Drew is among the coaching candidates. Do you know whether he has been interviewed or not ? Just curious.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:29 am
Kane337 – Thanks.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:29 am
HawkKingBibby– That is one way of looking at it.
Matt
May 27th, 2010
8:32 am
THE HAWKS ARE DOOMED….doomed, I say.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:33 am
Dr. Warren — Thanks. I like that 34 percent stat. Pretty funny. I think that’s what marketing and publications departments are for.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:34 am
Bob — I feel safe in saying that Bob Weiss is not a candidate. So we’ve got that going for us.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:37 am
Bugkiller — I’m OK with you having a different opinion but a correction in your comment: Avery Johnson led Dallas to the NBA finals in his second season, where they lost to Miami with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
It's Too Late Now!
May 27th, 2010
8:37 am
Sund was out of the league when this organization hired him……….Jeff that’s when the concern should have been questioned about his ability as a hiring GM.
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
8:38 am
Feudfinder — Hawks definitely spoke to view after the season, as they did all the coaches and players. Where he has had an actual former head coach interview since the process started, that I can’t answer.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:39 am
My question is how does sund manage to keep such a high profile job with all of his massive failures ?
why not get rid of Sund and offer his Job to Doc Rivers ? Doc might be wanting a break from coaching especially if the magic lose and they very well could , put doc in sunds role for a year or two until he decides he wants to return to the bench.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:40 am
i meant if the magic beat the celts
It's Too Late Now!
May 27th, 2010
8:42 am
And yes! He NEVER should have been hired in the first place…………….Until the ASG get their act together this team is just going to do what they been doing………which is NOTHING!
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
8:51 am
SouthGaDawgFan, you are very funny!!! Mr. Sund is yet to handpick his own coach, and you are already calling for his exit. You are the weakest link!!!
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
8:55 am
I stand corrected feudfinder I was under the impression this article was about the terrible job sund has done at hiring his own coaches.
my apologies to all the fans i have offended by suggesting mr sund has not done a out of this world job.
Rich
May 27th, 2010
8:57 am
I guess spellcheck can’t catch everything:
‘Collins had a decent coaching run in Chicago but couldn’t win a total.’
How about ‘couldn’t win a TITLE’
Feudfinder
May 27th, 2010
9:01 am
Hey bro, I was just messing with you. Infact, Mr. Sund’s past outlook was not good, but I was just saying that before we crucify him we should give him a chance to handpick his own coach. He did not hire coach Woodson. PEACE!!!
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
May 27th, 2010
9:09 am
I hope in a year or so we are saying man that sund made a heck of a pick when he hired coach _________ !
BugKiller
May 27th, 2010
9:13 am
I know Avery Johnson got his team to the Finals.
I’m talking about the way his time in Dallas ended, which is more indictative of his coaching ability. That ultra-talented team having two straight first round exits.
It seems to me that Johnson, being the kind of personality he is, is the kind of coach that players will tune out after a year or two.
Casey, on the other hand, has proven he can take garbage and make a five-course meal out of it.
Kind of like the opposite of Bobby Cox, who takes filet minon and makes ground beef, but has never taken an average or below average team and made them better.
Dwayne Casey is the BEST hire the Hawks can make.
TONE
May 27th, 2010
9:24 am
have the hawks scheduled an interview with Panagiotis Giannakis yet , he may be available this coming year , he might even take the job.
Slick Willie
May 27th, 2010
9:43 am
Maybe you should e-mail this column to the Gearons, Jeff . . .
Lowcountry Bulldawg
May 27th, 2010
9:46 am
WOW! Thats terrible. How was he even qualified to again be a GM with that track record? Made a couple of nice trades, but he hasn’t hired a decent coach in a decade and 3 of them in 30 years.
The Hawks are in big trouble, bring back Billy Knight! Hell bring back Pete Babcock!
Clay
May 27th, 2010
9:48 am
Bugkiller, yeah but …………………………..oh yeah, Bobby’s a players manager!! Everybody says that, especially the “uknowwho” hitting 3rd in the lineup every freaking day, even though he’s been hitting .200 since last July!
Ted M
May 27th, 2010
10:06 am
How does Sund’s current budget for a coach, relative to the times, stack up to those past coaching budgets?
I’m guessing he has less money to work with. With all the openings available even Dwayne Casey might be offered more money to coach elsewhere.
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2010
10:13 am
Hire the least-worse coach? The evil of 4 lessers? If that is the case, expand the pool.
Old Hawks Fan
May 27th, 2010
10:46 am
I question Rick Sund body of work on MB blog. I pray he has learned from those choices made in the past…………….only time will tell. This franchise doesn’t need to take any steps back but move forward. Rick Sund it is in your hands to show hawk’s fan that you have growned from those choices made in the past and give this team a quality coach to build on what Mike Woodson has done. Make the choice soon and let’s get this roster ready for 2010-2011.
heartofdarkness
May 27th, 2010
10:51 am
France never hired another successful general after Napoleon was exciled to St. Helena either.
Bobby Petrino
May 27th, 2010
11:44 am
Pick me pick me! I promise I won’t quit after 13 games and my offense would excell in the NBA!
gcs
May 27th, 2010
11:55 am
“Of all the names I’ve heard, Avery Johnson certainly seems to carry the least risk.”
Is that like the lesser of evils? That’s not quite a ringing endorsement.
It sounds to me like Sund is interviewing the wrong guys. Avery will do NOTHING. Casey will do less. The Hawks need to think bigger.
.
Chris
May 27th, 2010
12:00 pm
It’s a pipe dream but I hope Sund is taking his time because maybe he has a reason to believe Doc Rivers wants to come to Atlanta.
Chris
May 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
It’s a pipedream but I hope Sund is just taking his time until he can talk to the coach he really wants…>Doc Rivers
Ted M
May 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
If Sund takes his time all the good coaches will be gone. I’d like Rivers too but as you said “It’s a pipe dream”
TROTTINGHOME
May 27th, 2010
12:24 pm
Schultz, you don’t have string of greatly written articles either.
sidslid
May 27th, 2010
12:37 pm
Passing on Chris Paul is a “Todd Van Poppel” moment
Taylor Hanson
May 27th, 2010
12:47 pm
I’m still surprise the NBA owners let Spirit purchase this team. The NBA is nothing if not a league of indiviual personalities.
From its stars on the court to its commissioner, the Association is driven by its individuals. I just don’t see how this faceless oligarchy we’re stuck with ever passed through leadership’s standards.
Taylor Hanson
May 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
Who remembers the time when the Falcons fired Dan Henning? We had 3 or 4 coaches say no, and then we ended up giving Marion Campbell another shot because we literally couldn’t get anyone else.
That was a result of no one wanting to work for lousy ownership. I hope our city doesn’t bump into that again.
i_am_soulstar
May 27th, 2010
3:04 pm
Jeff, you’ve supplied me with nightmares for the next week
Still, great article though.
'Friend' of Clint Eastwood, Julie Andrews wants Thrashers! | Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
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[...] ♦ Hawks’ Sund lacks string of great coaching hires in past [...]
Jeff Schultz
May 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
GCS — My point is that there’s risk with any hire.But I realize that came off as a backhanded compliment.
Born2Buzz
May 27th, 2010
4:56 pm
A coach is usually only as good as the players he’s coaching. Although good coaching can certainly elevate good players to achieve more. (See the Bulls with Doug Collins and then Jackson).
I would surmise that most of those coaching failures were saddled with bad talent. Hey, even Woody suddenly looked like a decent coach once he got enough talent to compete.
And Boston was ready to can Doc Rivers until they got KG and Ray Allen. Now he’s…oh wait, Doc might be available come next Monday.
m. upshaw
May 27th, 2010
6:11 pm
It’s sad that the Hawks are looking all over the country and they have(a proven coach) right here in there backyard. He a native georgian, a mercer graduate, a thirteen year NBA veteran and previous coach of the year with the Toronto Raptors. I think Sam Mitchell would be a great fit for this young team. Josh Smith desparetly needs a coach like Sam.
Jeff D.
May 28th, 2010
12:57 am
If things don’t work out w/ Avery the Hawks could go the TV/Hollywood route: “I’m not a coach
(or doctor) in real life, but I play one on TV.” This would clear the path for Hollywood’s best to run the Hawks, like Samuel L. Jackson and Gene Hackman! You could count on lively post game quotes that would put Mike Woodson’s weekly “This is unacceptable!” to shame.
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May 28th, 2010
3:10 pm
[...] coaching experience? I think the last time Sund tried this, he hired Quinn Buckner in Dallas, and as I noted the other day on this list of past Sund hires that didn’t turn out so well. If Jackson gets the job and proves me wrong, it will be so noted. In large bold letters. But I [...]
Jon
May 31st, 2010
11:20 pm
The Hawks need to hire Lenny Wilkens.
Tony
June 1st, 2010
3:12 pm
What ever happen to Avery Johnson or Jeff Van Gundy? Why not give a shot to Mark Jackson…can’t hurt!
Poll time: Pick your Hawks' coach (I'm going with Johnson) | Jeff Schultz
June 7th, 2010
10:00 am
[...] good news is it will not be Bob Weiss. The Hawks and Rick Sund (in Seattle) both made that mistake [...]
wuffe
June 9th, 2010
8:40 pm
Hey Bibby a coaching position is open
hint hint
Poll time: Pick your Hawks' coach (I'm going with Johnson) « News, Articles and Information
July 1st, 2010
4:38 pm
[...] good news is it will not be Bob Weiss. The Hawks and Rick Sund (in Seattle) both made that mistake [...]