Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez emerges as head coaching candidate for Atlanta Hawks
Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez is emerging as a head coaching candidate in Atlanta after the Hawks fired Nate McMillan on Tuesday.
The Hawks named assistant Joe Prunty as interim head coach, but new general manager Landry Fields was expected to launch an immediate search for McMillan’s replacement.
Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski the Hawks’ preliminary candidates would include Utah Jazz coach Quinn Snyder, Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson. Sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Atlanta’s list would also include Fernandez, San Antonio Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson and G League coach Miles Simon.
Fernandez, 40, is in his first season as Mike Brown’s lead assistant and defensive coordinator in Sacramento. He spent the past six seasons as an assistant under Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
Fernandez is a native of Badalona, Spain. He began his NBA coaching career in 2009 when Brown hired him as a player development coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He went on to become head coach of the G League’s Canton Charge, going 62-38 in two seasons with two semifinal playoff appearances, and later served as Brown’s assistant with the Nigerian national team.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 6:06 PM.
