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Atlanta Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer Wins Coach of the Year

By Michael Dunlap

Mar 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer looks on against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer looks on against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer has won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award

You can imagine the scenario, as Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer looks at his caller ID to find that his old friend and mentor is calling. Little did Budenholzer know, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a special message for him — confirmation that Budenholzer was the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year.

It’s very telling how Budenholzer handed out praise during his press conference Tuesday at Philips Arena:

"“I think I speak for myself and a ton of my colleagues — it’s a long list — that I get to speak publicly and thank Pop for letting us coach with him,” Budenholzer said. “It prepared me for my opportunity. And I think that’s ultimately what the role of a coach is — to prepare his team, to prepare a player, or to prepare a person for their opportunity. And I just want to thank Pop for preparing me for this opportunity.”“We have an incredible group, and everyday the work and the commitment that they put in is very special,” Budenholzer said. “It makes me want to get better so that I can keep pace with them, the pace with which they work, the effort with which they put in to improve. It forces me to keep up with them and to keep getting better myself.”"

The Hawks had a special regular season, setting the franchise record with 60 regular season wins. They embody the team aspect of basketball, as no one player dominated the stat sheet throughout the season. Six different players scored in double figures, led by Paul Millsap‘s 16.7 points, but the team was still able to finish 10th in points scored (102.5) and sixth in offensive rating (108.9).

Atlanta has been labeled a team without a real superstar, but that has been proven patently false — they’ve got a superstar who wears a suit and carries a clipboard.

In one of the closer races in recent memory, Budenholzer edged out Steve Kerr, rookie head coach of the Golden State Warriors, whose team led the league with 67 wins. It seems appropriate that the East and West’s best teams split their season series at one game a piece.

Watch the Coach of the Year’s emotional speech:

Here’s the top five coaches, as voted upon by sportswriters and broadcasters:

  1. Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks — 513 points
  2. Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors — 471 points
  3. Jason Kidd, Milwaukee Bucks — 57 points
  4. Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics — 50 points
  5. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs — 38 points

This story isn’t complete for the Hawks or Budenholzer, as they have a legitimate shot to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2015 NBA Finals. They currently lead the Brooklyn Nets 1-0 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The last coach to win Coach of the Year and then continue on to win the NBA Championship? That hasn’t happened since…last season, when Budenholzer’s coaching guru Gregg Popovich did it.

Next: The Greatest Player In Every Franchise's History

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