Hornets to interview Terry Stotts for head coaching job, bring Kenny Atkinson and Darvin Ham in for second interview

The Charlotte Hornets will again interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham for the head coaching job, making him the first candidate publicly known to have received a second interview. Former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts will also interview for the position, per The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania.

As Charania noted, Ham “has emerged as a serious candidate” just a couple of days after Mark Stein stated New Orleans Pelicans advisor and veteran head coach Mike D’Antoni was in “strong position” to receive the open head coaching position. These two names have been strongly linked to the Hornets beyond being named prior to their interview, though Stotts likely has an upper-hand on other candidates given his success as coach for the small-market Blazers, who were also led by a star point guard in Damian Lillard.

With the Bucks recently being knocked out of the playoffs, Ham and fellow Hornets interviewee Charles Lee obviously have more time to meet with teams and think about prospective head coaching jobs. It seems like the Hornets job could be the second opening to be filled in this offseason’s coaching carousel.

EDIT: Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, along with Ham, will receive a second interview for the Hornets’ head coaching job per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atkinson has a reputation as a strong player development coach during his four-year tenure at the helm of the Brooklyn Nets. His career win-loss record is 118-190 and he’s spent three seasons as an assistant, one under Tyronn Lue and two under Steve Kerr, since stepping down as head coach of the Nets.