Kenny Atkinson had a surprising change of heart over the weekend and decided he will not become the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. According to one report, the job was not right for his family.
Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte was told Atkinson backed out of the Hornets job “for family reasons.”
That is similar to what Monte Pool of NBC Sports reported, which is that Atkinson had “mixed emotions.”
Atkinson last week agreed to a four-year deal to become Charlotte’s head coach. It would stand to reason that he took his family into consideration when he verbally committed. That is why it is so bizarre that he suddenly changed his mind. It is also unusual that he would opt to remain an assistant with the Golden State Warriors rather than taking a head coach job.
Atkinson may have an expanded role with the Warriors now that top assistant Mike Brown has taken a head coaching job elsewhere. Golden State probably gave him a raise as well. Still, all of this should have come up before Atkinson took the Hornets job. The timing is the most puzzling part of the equation.
More must-reads: