Philadelphia 76ers assistant Lloyd Pierce will interview with Atlanta Hawks ownership about the franchise's head-coaching job, and a strong meeting will likely catapult him into a job offer, league sources told ESPN.
Pierce met with Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk on Friday, and will meet with Atlanta majority owner Tony Ressler early this week, league sources said.
As Atlanta moves into a complete rebuild, Pierce's experience with the Philadelphia experiment and his strong background in player development have made a strong impression on Schlenk, league sources said. Pierce has been an assistant for 11 years in the NBA, including with Cleveland, Golden State, Memphis and the Sixers.
The Hawks are still considering Charlotte assistant Stephen Silas and Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts, although only Tibbetts met with ownership in the interview process, but Pierce has emerged as a front-runner over the weekend, league sources said.
Pierce spent four years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Santa Clara, before joining the NBA. He played with Hall of Famer Steve Nash at Santa Clara.
