The Hawks search for a coaching candidate could lead them back to the past.

One-time Hawks head coach Mike Fratello is reportedly a candidate to fill the head coaching position.

Billy Knight, speaking publicly for the first time about the vacant job, implied that the interview process could be a long one.

Many of the top prospects seem to be assistant or associate head coaches around the league.

Fratello, who is game analyst for TNT, spent seven years on the sidelines in Atlanta.

Dwight Howard?s older cousin, Kevin Samples, told the lottery-pick-to-be "he ain't ready for this."

Howard, 18, is in fact likely to be the first or second player chosen on the June 24 Draft.  And with this comes instant stardom, attention, and unwanted distractions.  

Howard?s parents have decided that their son will live with a relative at least for the first two years, and Samples is ready to take on the job.  

This is becoming common practice in the NBA as the average age of Draft entries drops.  

Chris Bosh lived with a cousin last year.  LeBron James lives with an uncle.

Samples is 24 and will help Howard manage his calendar, clear his life of trouble, and ease his transition to the life of professional basketball.

Nuggets associate head coach John MacLeod will have two days of interviews with the Atlanta Hawks, starting today, MacLeod told the media.  

He could fill the Hawks? head coaching vacancy.

"I'm excited about it," MacLeod said. "I think it could be a good situation."

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mavericks assistant Del Harris interviewed for the job on Monday and Sonics assistant Dwane Casey will interview this week.

MacLeod spent the past few days reading up on the Hawks? organization and said he?s "got a good line on them."  

MacLeod told the media that he is ready to start the process.

Hawks GM Billy Knight will interview Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Del Harris for their vacant head coaching position today.

Harris, 65, has more than 13 years of head coaching experience with three teams.

Knight also is expected to meet with Nuggets associate head coach John MacLeod and Supersonics associate head coach Dwane Casey.

If Hubie Brown can become the NBA's coach of the year at 70, John MacLeod figures now is the time to take another shot.

Calling himself "66 and full of juice, full of more juice than normal 66-year-old cats," MacLeod said he is itching for one more pro head coaching gig. That's why he told Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe he hopes not to return for a fourth year as a Denver assistant.

According to an NBA source, the Atlanta Hawks have asked the Nuggets' permission to speak with MacLeod about their head coaching vacancy.

"I do know the veteran coaches are now en vogue," MacLeod said Monday from Arizona.

Following the firints of Terry Stotts and Tim Floyd from their respective teams last week, Atlanta and New Orleans become teams in need of a new head coach.

Brian Hill, currently an assistant with the New Jersey Nets, declined comment on these two openings proclaiming that all he was interested in right now was focusing on Detroit and their 2nd round matchup in the Eastern conference semifinals. Speculation alread may begin, however, after New Orleans owner George Shinn's announcement of wanting "someone who has succeeded in the NBA, a person who can manage egos and the personalities" as his next head coach. Brian Hill fits both criteria, having led a Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway Orlando team to the NBA Finals in 1995.

Brian Hill was a Paul Silas assistant in New Orleans for two seasons and was a finalst for that head coaching position last summer before it was given to Tim Floyd. He started his coaching career in Atlanta as an assistant under Mike Fratello in 1986.

His assistant coaching job in Dallas might be in doubt but that might not be a bad thing for Del Harris.

According to two sources, Harris is a leading canadiate to become head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

Hawks GM Billy Knight denied the speculation and said he had "not spoken to a single soul."

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Harris could not be reached for comment. Howver, based on past requests, it is likely that Cuban would give the Hawks to talk with Harris if they wanted to.

Other canadiates mentioned include former Hawks coach Mike Fratello, Grizzlies assistant Lionel Hollins, and Hawks assistant Larry Smith.

"Harris, 63, has been with the Mavericks for four years as an assistant and compiled a 556-457 record in 13 seasons as head coach of the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers."

The Atlanta Hawks have decided to fire coach Terry Stotts following a season in which the Hawks tied for the league's fourth worst record at 28-54, ESPN's David Aldridge has learned.

According to a report by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Stotts has been made aware of this decision on Thursday night and a press conference has been called for Friday to announce the change.

This had been Stotts' first full season as the Atlanta head coach. He took over for fired Lon Kruger in December of 2002, and compiled a 24-31 win-loss record. However, after raised expectations and a couple of mid season trades to clear cap room involving Rasheed Wallace, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff, the team stumbled to a 28-54 record.

Terry Stotts was a long time assistant under George Karl in both Seattle and Milwaukee. He had been the Eastern Conference's longest tenured coach with his current team.

As word came down Thursday night that Terry Stotts had been relieved of his duties as Hawks front man, the news wasn?t as shocking as maybe the timing of the firing was to people that have watched this team closely.

Most who were there towards the end of the season saw a coach that wasn?t being endorsed as the future or maybe even the present solution for the team and while he was respected by new ownership and likely even General Manager Billy Knight, Stotts wasn?t likely to be the guy that the team was going to move on with, leaving his situation as lame duck as it gets.

We thought aloud that it would be surprising if Stotts was left as coach longer than a week after the season ended, allowing for a head start on coaching searches with most other teams pinned down by their own new coaches or by the playoffs. Some sources speculated that, indeed, one week might be all the time needed to evaluate the future and to let Stotts know that, despite his good efforts, that the team was ready to start anew.

The Doc Rivers hiring by the playoff swept Boston Celtics sent shockwaves through the city and Hawks fans. Rivers was the popular candidate on the rumor mill and seemed to fit the ownership group mantra of ?attitude and gratitude?, tying the team?s past with the team?s future.

But the sudden hiring of Rivers and the not-so-sudden decision on whether or not to let Stotts go seemed to indicate that either or neither Rivers nor the Hawks wanted such an arrangement. With that event, it seemed to indicate that maybe Stotts wasn?t going anywhere, a sentiment shared by Hawks fans, to little anger which was surprising.

The odd timing has got Jason Walker answering some of the likely questions regarding this move, such as who will coach, why now, and why not Doc Rivers?

Michael Lee of the AJC reports that Terry Stotts has been fired after 1 1/2 seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, this according to a team executive who requested anonymity.

Stotts was told of the team's decision late Thursday night.

The new ownership group Atlanta Spirit, LLC, allowed general manager Billy Knight to make the decision on whether or not to retain Stotts.

Now, the search begins for a new head coach.

Some canadiates that are mentioned include former New Jersey head coach Byron Scott, Memphis assistant Lionel Hollins, and even former Hawks head coach Mike Fratello

After making a few deals this season, the Hawks will have more than $20 million for free agents and two first-round picks to play with this summer.

Stotts was 52-85(.380)in his 1 1/2 seasons with the team. He will be payed the $1 million on his contract for this coming season.