Report: Quin Snyder nearing deal to become Hawks head coach

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Quin Snyder is heading back to the NBA.

Snyder is closing in on a five-year deal to become the new head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday. The deal is said to include this season and Snyder is expected to make his debut with the franchise Tuesday at home against the Washington Wizards.

Wojnarowski didn't report the financial specifics of the agreement, but a Friday report from The Athletic's Shams Charania placed Snyder's deal in the range of $8 million per year.

News that the Hawks were targeting Snyder emerged almost immediately after Atlanta fired Nate McMillan on Tuesday.

This will be Snyder’s second NBA head coaching job, having previously led the Utah Jazz from 2014 to 2022. During that eight-year tenure, the Jazz went 372-264 with six winning seasons.

The 56-year-old Snyder helped build an impressive franchise with All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but the Jazz struggled to convert that into postseason results, never making it past the second round of the playoffs in six tries. 

Despite another first-round exit in last year's playoffs, Utah's front office spent weeks attempting to persuade Snyder to sign an extension. At the time, he had two years remaining on his contract, including his own option in the final year. He rejected the offer saying that he “strongly [felt] they need a new voice to continue to evolve.”

That decision ultimately became the first domino to fall in Salt Lake City as CEO Danny Ainge initiated a rebuild. Over the course of the next three months, Ainge traded both Gobert and Mitchell and hired 34-year-old former Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy as head coach. 

Snyder is inheriting a Hawks team that entered the season with sky-high expectations. Two years removed from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Atlanta was expected by many to make some noise following the offseason acquisition of Dejounte Murray to play alongside All-Star Trae Young in the backcourt.

So far, though, it’s been an underwhelming season. Their 31-30 record puts them eighth in the East. With less than 25 games remaining in the regular season, all eyes will be on Snyder to see if he can turn the tide in Atlanta.

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