Quin Snyder has ties to the San Antonio Spurs. With all of the changes that have already taken place – and those to come – for the Atlanta Hawks, a return to his former stomping grounds could not be ruled out in the wake of the news that Gregg Popovich will not return in 2025-26.
Popovich missed much of the 2024-25 season after suffering a stroke in November. The legendary head coach also fainted while dining at a restaurant in April.
The Spurs announced on May 2 that Popovich would transition to team president.
This seemingly created a void for the head coaching position. Mitch Johnson took over for Popovich after, and the Spurs quickly moved to name the 38-year-old coach to the top chair on a full-time basis.
Snyder has not expressed a desire to leave, but he was linked to the vacancy in recent days, and the turmoil in the Hawks’ front office and looming roster questions are at the heart of the speculation.
Former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger made the connection.
Hawks HC Quin Snyder linked to Spurs Vacancy that never was
“Coach Quin Snyder, lured from a Costa Rican beach vacation to take over in early 2023, still has significant say (and the salary to prove it),” Hollinger wrote in April.
“Snyder is still under contract and oversaw young players like Johnson, Daniels, Risacher, Okongwu and Gueye making progress. Snyder has also gotten Young to try on defense. However, Snyder might have an interest in pursuing other openings, especially if the Spurs job becomes available.”
Snyder, who is 76-88 in two full seasons as Hawks HC, has already spent time with the Spurs.
He coached the Spurs’ affiliate, then called the Austin Toros, from 2007 through 2010 in what was the NBADL, now the G League. In three seasons at the helm, Snyder led the Toros to win nearly 63% of their games and saw more players called up than any other affiliate.
Snyder also still has ties to the organization in the team’s current CEO, and Snyder’s long-time friend, R.C. Burford.
“Snyder has known R.C. Buford since they were both assistant coaches under Larry Brown with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 1992-93 season. They’d stayed in contact since, and Buford — then the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs — proved a trusted sounding board in Snyder’s time of indecision,” Eric Walden wrote for the Salt Lake Tribune in May 2021.
“Snyder would have been fine staying longer.”
Walden cited Snyder’s wife working on her doctorate at Texas and that the coach was enjoying his ability to develop players with the Toros and build relationships with the Spurs, most notably Popovich.
Snyder had preexisting ties to the Hawks, too, spending one season in Atlanta as an assistant in 2013-14. But his experience has certainly not unfolded as he or anyone likely expected.
While he retains say, he will also be getting a new boss, or at least co-conspirator, this summer.
The Hawks are set to hire a new president of basketball operations, who will work with newly installed general manager Onsi Saleh to mold the roster in their vision. How much will Snyder’s opinion be weighed in looming decisions like on Young? Dyson Daniels? The list goes on.
Quin Snyder's future with Hawks remains in question in league circles
HoopsHype posted on Facebook in February an expectation that the new president would see that Snyder deserves – and will grant him – more time since the roster was not built for him.
The post argues for a “full year” and “roster input.”
It noted that assistant GM Kyle Korver brought Snyder in, but that there was no “synergy” between the coach and Fields. The post also reported the belief that part of Snyder’s reasoning for accepting the position so soon after leaving the Utah Jazz was control.
Ownership walked that back, per HoopsHype. Will the new president, who will undoubtedly want to imprint themselves in the look of the team, be willing to cede some of their power to Snyder?
The Hawks have hired outside firm Sportsology to find their next president of basketball ops.
They are said to be willing to spend top dollar on that decision-maker, and the Hawks have been linked to prominent candidates. Even with the proposition that Snyder could have more say in the roster construction, ownership has proven its propensity for change amid a sea of voices.