The Atlanta Hawks have not fired Larry Drew. They have not officially released the head coach of his duties. General manager Danny Ferry has only brought up the possibility that Drew will not be retained at the end of the season. However, that is not stopping the Hawks from already seeking his potential replacement. Sitting at the top of their list for a new head coach, Atlanta is eyeing Stan Van Gundy to take over the team.
"I have great appreciation and respect for Larry and how he led out team this season. At the same time, it is my responsibility and in the best interest of the Hawks organization to consider all of our options, and talk with other potential head coaches before making a decision about who will lead our basketball team.
According to a report by Yahoo! Sports, Ferry has already reached out to Van Gundy to gauge his interest in the position. Van Gundy has not worked in the NBA since being fired as the head coach of the Orlando Magic. He is unsure if he is ready to return, but does have respect for Ferry.
The Hawks plan on bringing changes to the organization and part of that will be making a hard push for free agent Dwight Howard. Atlanta believes if Van Gundy is head coach, that will persuade Howard to play for the Hawks. The two played together for five seasons and Van Gundy can be credited to helping make Howard an All-Star.
Howard has a very public spat with his Magic teammates and Van Gundy while he was departing Orlando. The center insists the his relationship with the coach strong and the two continue to talk everyday.
All of these negotiations have happened as Drew remains the head coach. While Ferry insists that he and Drew have remained in constant conversation, the coach is essentially in limbo until Atlanta decides if they can get ahold of someone better.
"Larry and I have had open communication about this approach. If Larry and I continue our work together, we ultimately will be a stronger organization because of our discussions and this thorough process," Ferry said.
Drew has led the Atlanta Hawks to three consecutive playoff appearances while head coach. They recently lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games of the opening series of the playoffs.
