NETS TAB EX-KNICK ASSISTANT AS COACH
NETS GM SEAN MARKS’ choice to be Brooklyn’s next coach — Atlanta assistant Kenny Atkinson — boasts basketball ties both to the New York area and to Marks’ ultra-successful previous employer, the San Antonio Spurs.
Atkinson was hired on Sunday, the team announced, to replace interim coach Tony Brown, who went 11-34 with the Nets after replacing fired Lionel Hollins on Jan. 11.
Atkinson, 48, was an assistant coach under Mike D’Antoni with the Knicks from 2008-12 and he’s currently a member of Mike Budenholzer’s staff with the Hawks. Budenholzer was an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich with San Antonio, where Marks was the assistant GM before being hired by the Nets to replace reassigned Billy King in February. Atkinson will remain with Atlanta through the end of the playoffs, the Nets added.
“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” Marks said in a statement. “Kenny’s years of NBA coaching experience working under successful head coaches such as Mike Budenholzer and Mike D’Antoni have provided him with the foundation and experience we were looking for in a head coach.
“We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”
Added Nets owner Mikhail
Prokhorov: “I’d like to extend a personal welcome to Kenny and wish all of us success as we begin a new era at the Brooklyn Nets. Aside from his tremendous skills and experience, he has the mindset we need to build a winning team day by day, step by step. Together, we can do great things.”
The Huntington (Long Island) native played collegiately at Richmond, leading the Spiders to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1988, and professionally for 14 seasons, mostly in Europe.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and I would like to thank Nets’ ownership and management for this tremendous opportunity,” Atkinson said in a statement. “Together with Sean and his staff, we look forward to building a winning tradition here in Brooklyn.
“I also want to acknowledge and thank Mike Budenholzer and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for their cooperation and support throughout this process. While I am eager to begin working with the Nets, I remain committed to my coaching responsibilities with the Hawks for the remainder of the postseason.”