Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer withdrew from consideration for the Suns’ head coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday night.
Budenholzer interviewed with Suns officials this week after the Hawks gave him permission to do so. He’s under contract with the Hawks for two more seasons after coaching them for the past five.
ESPN first reported Budenholzer’s withdrawal from consideration for the Suns job.
The Hawks hired Budenholzer, 48, as head coach after he was a Spurs assistant for 17 seasons . The Hawks were 24-58 in 2017-18, last in the Eastern Conference, after they made the playoffs in each of Budenholzer’s previous four seasons.
The Hawks hired general manager Travis Schlenk in May 2017, soon after Budenholzer resigned as the team’s top basketball executive. Before this season, Schlenk shed the roster of high-priced veterans while focusing on acquiring draft picks, young players and salary-cap flexibility.
The Hawks posted a franchise-record 60 victories during the 2014-15 season, when Budenholzer was named the NBA’s coach of the year. The Hawks concluded that season with their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since the franchise moved to Atlanta before the 1968-69 season.
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