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Quin Snyder agreed to coach the Atlanta Hawks just 10 months after stepping down as the Utah Jazz’s shot-caller for eight seasons. Snyder reportedly signed a five-year deal on February 26, 2023, and effectively took over from the fired Nate McMillan.
The Hawks have not disclosed how much they’re paying Snyder but it’s reported to be around the $8 million range per season. The deal makes him one of the highest-paid bench tacticians in the entire NBA.
Snyder built his resume with the Utah Jazz when he led the team to the playoffs in six of his last eight seasons with the team. The Jazz, during his tenure, repeatedly failed to get past the second round of the postseason.
Repeated playoff failures eventually led Quin Snyder to look for a change of scenery. The Jazz promptly traded their stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert after Snyder stepped down as head coach.
The former Duke standout did not go unemployed for long. He was soon on the Atlanta Hawks’ radar after they fired Nate McMillan. Behind McMillan’s leadership, the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 where they lost to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
The following season, the Hawks couldn’t repeat their playoff success and were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round. Changes were inevitable and McMillan had to go after the Hawks’ disappointing start to their 2022-23 campaign.
Donovan Mitchell, who was now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, highly recommended Quin Snyder to Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young. Atlanta quickly worked on a deal and officially signed him after the All-Star break.
Quin Snyder has already made an impact on the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks couldn’t overcome their so-so regular-season start, which pushed them into the play-in tournament. They took on the highly-touted Miami Heat in Florida and beat Jimmy Butler and his teammates to nail the seventh spot in the playoffs.
Quin Snyder’s numerous playoff battles over the last six seasons have certainly played a part in the Hawks’ play-in upset of the Heat.
Atlanta’s defense, though, remains an issue despite Snyder’s influence. They promptly went down 1-3 against the Boston Celtics, the heavily-favored and reigning conference champs.
Heading into Game 5, the NBA announced Dejounte Murray’s suspension for verbally abusing and bumping into a referee. Snyder had to make adjustments in the Hawks’ biggest game of the season.
Remarkably, the undermanned Atlanta Hawks went into TD Garden and stole the thunder from the Celtics in Game 5. The series will now return to Atlanta, where the Hawks could tie the best-of-seven series at 3-3.
Quin Snyder pressed all the right buttons in the Hawks’ impressive victory on Boston’s home floor. He may have just been hired this February, but he’s turning out to be a crucial piece of what they’re trying to accomplish in the playoffs.
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