The Atlanta Hawks continue to interview head coaches for a position that does not exist. Larry Drew has not been fired. While it now seems likely that he is on his way out in Atlanta, he has not been officially fired. Danny Ferry is making things as awkward as possible for the Hawks organization. He has made it known that he wants the best possible candidate for the Hawks in order for the team to have lasting success and that may or may not include Drew. They have begun a slew of interviews including Stan Van Gundy and European coach, Ettore Messina.
Atlanta's top choice at coach is Van Gundy. If they cannot land Van Gundy, Drew might have a job with the team after all. Van Gundy was not active in the league last year after a nasty breakup with the Orlando Magic. He was involved in the highly publicized Dwight Howard drama.
Atlanta believes that if they can land Van Gundy, then Howard will follow in free agency. The Hawks have made Howard their top priority when the offseason begins. They are hoping to reunite the head coach and defensive star. The Hawks will likely dump Josh Smith, so they need Van Gundy in order to persuade Howard to come to the team.
The Hawks are also giving significant consideration to hiring Messina, the Italian-born coach currently working for CSKA Moscow. Messina is a four-time Euroleague Champion. He was also a two-time coach of the year. He has won five Russian League championships and four Italian League titles in the span of two decades.
Messina has some experience in the NBA. He was part of Mike Brown's coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers. He returned back to Europe after there was uncertainty with Brown's future. Ferry has a great deal of respect for the European league and recently spent time studying Messina's offense. If hired, he could reshape the entire Hawks franchise.
Atlanta has also interviewed Nate McMillan as a coaching candidate. The former Portland Trailblazers' head coach is considering a return to the league as well. Drew's contract is not up until the end of June. While the team has not ruled out a return, they certainly are looking elsewhere. In three years, Drew took the Hawks to three consecutive playoff appearances.
Plan A for Atlanta is Van Gundy with the possibility of landing Howard. Plan B could easily be Messina if Ferry takes the chance. Drew might be Plan C, but he could easily be Plan E or F.
