The Atlanta Hawks have had a tough start to the 2025-26 season. After falling to 1-3, many analysts already see this Hawks team as a disappointment following losses to the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls. Both teams are considered Play-In contenders, while ESPN predicted the Hawks would be the 4th seed this season.
For the Hawks to demonstrate their ‘new level’, they must defeat certain teams in their conference. It’s clear they will face difficulties against both teams in the future, having previously lost to them when fully healthy. The league isn’t going to wait for the Hawks' new teammates to get acclimated, putting Head Coach Quin Snyder in the hot seat.
Snyder has been given a relatively long leash regarding his success in Atlanta. We’ve seen coaches in the NBA/WNBA fired after winning coach of the year awards and championships. In the four years Quin has been in Atlanta, he has compiled an 87-102 record.
General Manager Onsi Saleh has done an excellent job with the 2025-26 Hawks roster, which makes their poor start all the more alarming. If the 2021 NBA All-Star Game head coach can’t find a solution, he might be gone before the trade deadline.
If the Hawks want to move on, there are many coaches available with better career records than Snyder. 2023 NBA Champion Michael Malone and two-time Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau were both recently fired from their respective teams. Despite their unfortunate dismissals, both coaches have been highly successful in their careers.
Is Quin The Right Coach For The Hawks?
Bringing in either coach would give the Hawks a new identity after playing in Snyder’s system the past two years. Thibodeau is known for his abrasive, defensive-oriented coaching style, which would be a breath of fresh air for the third-youngest team in the NBA. New York Knicks fans criticized his rotations, but they consistently produced positive results on defense.
Atlanta has a very deep rotation of tall defenders like Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Thibodeau would excel at using the Hawks' length in various defensive schemes, especially with the recently signed Kristaps Porzingis.
Contrary to Thibodeau’s defensive approach, Malone is recognized for his offensive skills. He played a key role in Nikola Jokic’s ascent to league supremacy and was one of the first believers in the center’s playmaking talents that supported the team’s three-point shooters
Atlanta has a similar system with Trae Young and his supporting cast. Porzingis and Luke Kennard both shoot 40% from three, while Zaccharie Risacher is also becoming a dependable three-point shooter.
Malone’s championship experience would also be crucial for such a young locker room and enforce a level of discipline the Hawks have never had under Snyder. His emphasis on unselfish play would further enhance Trae Young’s playmaking, which is the best course of action given his drop in efficiency.
Young is at his best when taking a past-first approach, and either of these coaches could bring out the best in him. Both have coached star guards in the past, and Trae is more coachable now than ever at 27 years old. Even though there are no reports of a split between Snyder and the Hawks, this will be the year it happens if their struggles continue.