Nate McMillan was sacked as head coach of the Indiana Pacers in August following their first-round exit from the NBA playoffs; McMillan has previously been head coach of the Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trail Blazers
Wednesday 11 November 2020 16:17, UK
The Atlanta Hawks have confirmed the appointment of Nate McMillan as an assistant coach.
McMillan was sacked as head coach of the Indiana Pacers in August following their first-round exit from the NBA playoffs, with the decision ending his four years with the team.
The 56-year-old joins Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce's staff, with Atlanta looking to end a playoff drought that has now reached three seasons.
"I reached out to Nate after he became available and we've had extensive conversations centering around the value, expertise and experience he would add as we look to progress next season," Pierce said.
"This is a unique opportunity that will benefit me, our coaching staff and our entire roster.
"In his 16 years as a successful NBA head coach, his teams have emulated his playing style and personality. They've always been disciplined, competitive, played together and won at a high level.
"I have great respect for Nate as a man and as a coach, and I feel fortunate to welcome him to our staff and to the Hawks."
Indiana went 45-28 in the abbreviated 2019-20 season, leaving McMillan with 183-136 record in his four seasons running the team.
The Pacers made the playoffs all four years but never once got out of the opening round.
McMillan also was a head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000-01 to 2004-05, producing a 212-183 record, and of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2005-06 to 2011-12, logging a 266-269 mark.
Only once, in his final year with the Sonics, has McMillan taken a team to the second round of the postseason. With a 661-588 overall regular-season record, McMillan ranks 22nd on the all-time NBA coaching wins list.
McMillan was a two-time All-Defensive second-team performer during his playing career, spent entirely in Seattle from 1986-87 to 1997-98.
He averaged 5.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, four assists and 1.9 steals in 796 games (373 starts).
The 2020/21 NBA season will begin on December 22 - around two months later than usual due to the previous campaign only finishing in October following delays caused by coronavirus.
