Hawks, Pierce meet again to discuss head coach opening

The Hawks and 76ers assistant Lloyd Pierce are meeting Friday for a third time to discuss the team’s head coach opening, people familiar with the process confirmed Friday.

ESPN reported that Pierce is meeting with Hawks officials at the team’s facility. Pierce is the favorite to get the job among four finalists, though a formal offer had yet to be made as of early Friday afternoon.

» Mark Bradley: Hawks should 'trust the process'

Pierce met with general manager Travis Schlenk a week ago for an initial interview. On Tuesday, Pierce met in Boston with a group of Hawks executives that included principal owner Tony Ressler.

Pierce, 42, has been a Sixers assistant for the past five seasons. The Celtics eliminated the Sixers from the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday.

The Hawks are looking for a new coach after the team and Mike Budenholzer parted ways following five seasons.