The Warriors’ coaching staff has been consistently flush with talent since Steve Kerr took over, so it’s no surprise that one of his assistants is getting a look at a head coaching position.
Mike Brown was hired as the Sacramento Kings’ head coach last year after overseeing the Warriors’ defense for six seasons. Willie Green started out with the Warriors and has coached the New Orleans Pelicans since 2021.
There could be another former Warriors assistant hired, too.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Kenny Atkinson is expected to be considered for the Atlanta Hawks’ head coaching job after the team fired Nate McMillan.
Now, there are some major caveats here. Atkinson, clearly, is not the favorite. That distinction goes to Quin Snyder. But he is, per Wojnarowski, in early consideration.
The real question, though, is whether Atkinson would want a job.
He was offered the Charlotte Hornets’ head coaching gig last offseason, and after it was reported that he’d take the job, he reversed course and stuck with Golden State as an assistant.
Steve Kerr explained the situation during the team’s championship parade:
We’re in a great place. We’ve got great players. We live in a beautiful part of the country. Kenny’s got two kids, you know, teenagers who really wanted to stay, and I think that’s a really difficult thing to try to take a job in the middle of the Finals without really getting a chance to unwind.
And I think over the course of the Finals, he just felt like, ‘You know what, this is not the best time for my family and me to leave.’ So I’m glad that Kenny trusted his gut, and hopefully Charlotte ends up with a great coach and everybody moves forward.
The other part of the equation was a report that Charlotte reportedly pays its coaches poorly, and Atkinson was unable to acquire proper compensation for his assistants.
Perhaps if Atlanta is more generous on that front, Atkinson could be swayed if he gets offered the job. Only time will tell, and much, obviously, depends on Quin Snyder.
