Lloyd Pierce is out as the Atlanta Hawks head coach, and it sounds like trouble has been brewing for quite some time.
The Hawks on Monday dismissed Pierce of his duties after three years as the team’s head coach. And according to The Athletic, players had a hand in influencing the change.
Pierce and Trae Young notably did not get along, per the report. The two attempted to mend fences during the offseason, but things broke down rather quickly during the first half of the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Other players reportedly have grown increasingly frustrated with Pierce, too.
Pierce irritated John Collins a couple of years ago after making comments about not running plays for him, per the report. Pierce subsequently criticized the power forward when he brought the issue to his coach’s attention.
Cam Reddish apparently wasn’t pleased with Pierce either, and felt he was “picked on” when he made mistakes.
“He didn’t have support from many people,” one source told The Athletic. ” It came down to him not being able to manage egos. That’s what did him in, especially these young guys. It’s tough.”
Nate MacMillan, who joined the team as an assistant coach this offseason, will serve as the interim head coach.
