Atlanta Hawks: Top 5 Head Coaches

Jan 10, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Hubie Brown during the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Lakers 123-87. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While you may now know Hubie Brown as a broadcaster for ESPN, Brown is Basketball Hall of Famer for his contributions to the game.  He had been a successful coach in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels before coming to Atlanta in 1976.  Hubie also spent eight more seasons manning the sidelines with the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies before retiring to the booth early in the 2004-05 NBA season.

Brown has the longest gap between NBA Coach of the Year awards.  He won his first back in 1977-78 with the Atlanta Hawks and his second with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2003-04.  As one of the most respected basketball minds of the last 50 years, Brown was known for his ability to take a team down on its luck and get it back to being a playoff contending team.

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In his 5 seasons as the Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Hubie Brown won 199 career games and took Atlanta to the postseason three times.  He won 48.9% of his regular season games as head coach and a decent 37.5% of his playoff contests.

Though Hubie Brown took the Atlanta Hawks to consecutive Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1979 and 1980, he could never get late-70’s, early-80’s squads to a championship.  He will be best remembered in Atlanta for his three middle seasons (1977-80) where his Hawks teams were above .500 playoff teams.

Next: He Took His Talents From St. Louis to Atlanta