Soaring Down South
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5 Best Atlanta Hawks Who Became NBA Head Coaches

By Dallin Duffy

WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: Tyronn Lue #10 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on prior to their NBA game against the Washington Wizards on March 30, 2005 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. The Wizards won 102-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: Tyronn Lue #10 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on prior to their NBA game against the Washington Wizards on March 30, 2005 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. The Wizards won 102-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
SAN DIEGO, CA – JANUARY 27: Head coach Paul Silas of the San Diego Clippers looks on from the sideline during a National Basketball Association game against the Atlanta Hawks at the San Diego Sports Arena on January 27, 1983 in San Diego, California. The Clippers defeated the Hawks 110-100. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

#5 – Paul Silas

Paul Silas played just one year in Atlanta but suited up for the St. Louis Hawks in his first four seasons in the league. He was good, not great for the Hawks but went on to have a very successful NBA career after leaving, winning three NBA championships, and making five All-Defensive teams.

Silas stepped right into the head coaching chair after retiring, acting as the skipper of the San Diego Clippers from 1980 to 1983. He was dismissed after going 68-136 in those three years.

A few years later he returned to the bench as an assistant coach, starting a long career as a secondary coach. From ’85-’98 he worked on the bench of four teams (Nets, Knicks, Suns, Hornets) before getting a second chance as a captain.

He took over as the Hornets head coach in the 1998-1999 season after Dave Cowens started 4-11. He found success there, coaching a team led by a young Baron Davis into the playoffs three straight years before following the team to New Orleans.

After one year in the Big Easy, Silas was fired despite a 47-35 finish and a playoff birth. He was instantly given another chance to coach, this time in Cleveland with a 19-year-old LeBron James on the roster.

He was famously fired one year later after a feud with guard Eric Snow led to a media outburst:

After a brief analyst stint at ESPN Silas returned to Charlotte to become the Bobcats head coach. In his second season as the full-time skipper, the Bobcats went 7-59, recording an all-time worst winning percentage.

If you look at that roster, however, it’s hard to blame the coach for that, and Silas proved to be a talented head man in his first tenure with Charlotte.

In total, he spent 12 seasons as a head coach, retiring with a .442 winning percentage.

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