Nets hire Hawks assistant as coach

The Hawks have lost another lead assistant to a head coaching job.

Kenny Atkinson was hired as head coach of the Nets, the team announced Sunday. He will continue to coach the Hawks through the playoffs before assuming his new duties.

Atkinson has been the lead assistant for the Hawks the past two seasons after Quin Snyder left to take the job as head coach of the Jazz.

Atkinson, who is from Huntington, N.Y., has been an assistant with the Hawks for four seasons. He was an assistant with the Knicks the previous four seasons. He also served as the director of player development for the Rockets for one season.

“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” Nets General Manager Sean 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.”

Atkinson, 48, got some head coaching experience last summer when he coached the Dominican Republic National team in the FIBA Americas tournament. He also filled in for Budenholzer for a game this season. Atkinson has also coached the Hawks’ summer league team.

“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 post- season.”

Atkinson was an AllCAA First Team player as a junior and senior at the University of Richmond. He helped Richmond to a Sweet 16 appearance in 1988. He played professionally in Italy, France, Germany and Spain.

“I’m very happy for Kenny and excited that he’s earned the opportunity to be a head coach,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “With him and Sean in place, the Nets have a very strong foundation to build on.”