Larry Donnell Drew is the current head basketball coach of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. He is also a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1980 NBA Draft. A 6'1" point guard from the University of Missouri, Drew played in 10 NBA seasons. He played for the Pistons, Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. In 1988-89, Drew played in the Italian League with Scavolini.

Marking his first season as a head coach in the NBA, Atlanta’s Larry Drew has certainly paid his dues, and he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity.

He has experience, having played with winners like Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Byron Scott. He has coached under individuals like Scott, Alvin Gentry and Doug Collins, and after 27 combined seasons as a player and coach, the work invested in those positions have set the stage for Drew to finally get the job he has desired for some time, and after 18 years on the bench as an assistant, that time is now.

Schooled in the fundamentals of the game as a youngster, Drew seeks to teach that knowledge to a Hawks backcourt that brings a nice blend of experience in the likes of veterans Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson, and youth in Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford.

While he won’t forget about their teammates, he will instill a motion offense to utilize the skills of many multi-talented players on his roster, taking full advantage of one of the NBA’s most efficient offenses in the league, and defensively, Drew wants his players to be more aggressive and accountable for their roles, which he believes will make them a much improved unit.

He knows the personalities of the players after six years of work, as well as their strengths and weaknesses on the court, and that should bode well as he seeks to lead the Hawks back to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season