Kenny Atkinson to receive second interview for Hornets' head coaching vacancy

Golden State Warriors assistant coach and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is set for a second interview with the Charlotte Hornets as a candidate for their head coaching vacancy, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. 

Atkinson and the Warriors will face off against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, set to kick off on Wednesday.

Prior to his Warriors tenure, Atkinson recorded a 118-190 win-loss tally with Brooklyn from 2016-2020. The middling record could in part be the result of the lottery-bound roster he coached prior to the free agency acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019. He has also notched assistant stints with the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham would also receive a second interview, and ex-Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts would be a candidate for the gig as well. Former Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, current Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Nets assistant David Vanterpool are also apparently in the running. Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse and Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder have also been rumored to be targets.

Following this season, Charlotte fired former head coach James Borrego. Borrego accrued a 138-163 record across four seasons with the Hornets. Led on the court by 2022 All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, Charlotte qualified for the 2021 and 2022 play-in tournaments, but failed to advance to the playoffs either time.