On Monday, the Atlanta Hawks announced additions to head coach Quin Snyder’s coaching staff, as Bryan Bailey, Mike Brey, Brittni Donaldson, Steve Klei, Igor Kokoskov, Antonio Lang, Sanjay Lumpkin, Ekpe Udoh and Jeff Watkinson have joined as assistant coaches; Reggis Onwukamuche as player development coach and Bryan George in DAV (player development/advance scouting/video).
Snyder was hired by the Hawks in February after the team fired Nate McMillan.
“We have assembled a coaching staff that brings together a diversity of experiences and expertise to develop, connect with and challenge our players,” Snyder said in a press release. “Each of our coaches bring something unique to our group and I am excited to work with this staff and find ways to continually improve our team.”
Here’s a brief biography of each assistant:
Bailey spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz following two years with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. He began his coaching career with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League in 2016-17.
Brey comes off a decorated 23-year career as the head coach at Notre Dame, where he became the winningest coach in school history (483), competing in the postseason 18 times, including 13 NCAA Tournament berths, three Sweet 16 trips, two Elite Eight appearances and the 2015 ACC Championship. The 2011 National Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and Henry Iba/USBWA, he led the Irish to a 27-7 mark (17-0 at home) that season.
Donaldson comes to Atlanta from the Detroit Pistons, where she was assistant coach/director of coaching analytics. Formerly an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors from 2019-21 after two seasons as the club’s data analyst, basketball operations, she was part of the Raptors’ NBA championship team in 2019.
Klei joined the Hawks in March after spending the first part of the 2022-23 season with Olimpia Milano in Italy as assistant coach/director of player development. He started with the Utah Jazz from 2016-22, spending time in the DAV program including as head video coordinator prior to becoming a coaching associate.
Kokoskov, who was the first non-American born head and assistant coach in NBA history, comes to Atlanta after working as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets last season and brings 23 years of NBA coaching experience. The former head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19, he has also spent time with the Dallas Mavericks (2021-22), Sacramento Kings (2019-20), Utah Jazz (2015-18), Orlando Magic (2014-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-14), Suns (2008-13), Detroit Pistons (2003-08) and LA Clippers (2000-03). Additionally, he was head coach of Fenerbahce (Turkey) in 2020-21. In 1999-2000, Kokoskov became the first European to work as part of a full-time coaching staff in NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball at the University of Missouri.
Lang hasspent the last four years as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers following five seasons with the Utah Jazz (2014-19). Lang played for the Suns, Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers in his six-year NBA career. He also played in the CBA, IBL, in the Philippines and in Japan.
Lumpkin comes to Atlanta from the Utah Jazz, where he was a player development coach last season following two years on Utah’s DAV staff. H
Udoh is a former sixth overall pick in 2010 by Golden State. He has appeared in 384 regular season NBA games (56 starts) for the Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and Utah Jazz, with international stops in Israel, Turkey, China, Italy and Japan in his 13-year playing career.
Watkinson returned to the Hawks organization in March after seven seasons as assistant coach/integrated player development with the Utah Jazz. He was previously with the Hawks as the team’s strength and conditioning coach from 2012-15.
Onwukamuche, who briefly played for the College Park Skyhawks during their inaugural 2019-20 season, appeared in 144 career games in the NBA G League, also spending time with the Lakeland Magic and Erie BayHawks. He was also part of the Hawks’ mini-camp roster in September 2020.
George comes to the Hawks from ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne in the French 1st Division, where he has been an assistant coach since 2020.
