| Woodson Remains In The Hawks Nest Authored by Patrick J. Austin - June 13, 2008 - 5:01 pm
Every off-season, a plethora of head coaches get the axe and are forced to seek employment in a new city. It’s become so prevalent there’s even an official name: the coaching carousel. The Hawks opted not to join in the fray of coach termination and re-signed Mike Woodson to a two-year deal.
In a league where the average tenure of a head coach is shorter than Earl Boykins, it’s somewhat refreshing to see a team stick with their guy. Though, you have to wonder if a re-signing a coach who’s perpetually underperformed is the right course of action.
If Woodson finishes out this new contract extension, he’ll be six years in as the Hawks top coach. Flip Saunders didn’t even get that kind of guarantee from the Detroit Pistons (and he’s taken that team to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances).
So the obvious questions is, was this the right decision by ownership?
The answer is in the eye of the beholder. Someone can look at Woodson’s record and see that the team has steadily progressed each year he’s been head coach. The apex of his success came recently with a dramatic seven-game playoff battle with the top-seeded Boston Celtics. From this viewpoint, keeping Woodson around is a very wise decision. The team has grown and Woodson deserve to stay around to revel in the flourishing of the franchise.
Conversely, Woodson never got the team to a .500 record and has only made the playoffs once (the previously mentioned playoff series between the Celtics). Even then, the Hawks slipped into the postseason with a less-than-spectacular 37-45 record. Furthermore, you have to wonder about his porous in-game decisions and questionable rotation.
With the aforementioned Saunders and Avery Johnson on the open market, I’m somewhat surprised the Hawks decided to keep Woodson. There is validity to the notion that the team is progressing, but it’s actually the maturation of the players that have made the Hawks more competitive, not the tutelage of Woodson. In fact, one the Hawks best players – Josh Smith – has had multiple run-ins with Woodson. This could play a factor in the team’s attempt to re-sign Smoove to a long-term deal.
Multiple factors probably played a part in Woodson’s retention. First and foremost, the Hawks have a reputation for being loyal to employees of the franchise. Pete Babcock was the Hawks general manager for 15 years (still the longest run for a GM). Second, the current ownership group is still embroiled in the legal battle with estranged owner, Steve Belkin. That means they may not have the resources, or interest, to let Woodson go and then initiate a full fledged coaching search. Plus, hiring a guy like Saunders or Johnson would require a hefty contract in the $4-6 million dollar-a-year range. Given the need to re-sign both Smoove and Josh Childress this summer, the owners may have been averse to spending big dollars on a big name coach.
The pressure will certainly be on Woodson to build upon the success of this season. In order to justify his extension, a .500 record and return to the postseason are necessary.
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