Report: Hawks eyeing Kings’ Jordi Fernández as head coaching candidate
Feb 21, 2023, 3:22 PM
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
On the heels of firing head coach Nate McMillan, the Atlanta Hawks are beginning the process of finding a new head coach.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Hawks are expected to target Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernández as one of the candidates for the position.
Fernández, 40, is currently in his first season with the Kings as Mike Brown’s number-one assistant on a coaching staff that has helped build a winning culture in Sacramento. Through 57 games, the Kings hold a 32-25 record as they sit in the Western Conference’s three-spot.
Sources: The Hawks' head coaching candidates are expected to include Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, G League South Bay's Miles Simon and former Jazz coach Quin Snyder.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 21, 2023
Fernández filled in as acting head coach for three games in late December–one after Brown got ejected and two when Brown entered health and safety protocols–as he became the first Spanish head coach to secure an NBA win.
The seasoned assistant has coached alongside Brown on the Nigeria men’s basketball team since the 2020 Olympic games. For three seasons, Fernández served as an assistant and head coach in the G-League for the Canton Charge before making the jump to the NBA in 2016, where he coached under former Kings head coach Michael Malone with the Denver Nuggets for six seasons.
“I think one day Jordi will be a head coach in this league,” Malone said of Fernández following a loss to his former assistant on December 27th. “He’s been a head coach in the G League. He’s got great international experience. This team is on the right path with the right coaches, so I’m really happy for them.”
With the Kings amid a playoff race–the most legit pursuit that the franchise has had in nearly two decades–it will be interesting to see how Atlanta’s interview process will unfold as Fernández and Sacramento focus on ending the historic 16-year postseason drought.
