UNDATED (AP) — Kenny Atkinson’s tenure as coach of the Charlotte Hornets is over before it started. A person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Atkinson has reversed course and will not take over as coach of the Hornets.
The move came Saturday, more than a week after the Golden State assistant had agreed to a four-year contract.
The Hornets having to reopen their search is not ideal for a multitude of reasons. Among those is the fact that they have three picks, including two in the top 15, of Thursday’s draft. Charlotte may have to make the No. 13, No. 15, and No. 45 selections without a coach in place.
The Hornets had talked to several other candidates in their search to replace James Borrego, who was fired in April at the end of his fourth season. Darvin Ham, Mike D’Antoni, and Terry Stotts were known to be on Charlotte’s radar.
