Chris Jent Hired as Lakers Assistant Coach

The Hawks coaching staff just got worse.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Following a disappointing season, Atlanta's team governor and team president declared the team must improve this off-season. The front office had always intended to shake up the roster. But now, they must conduct a coaching search to fill the position of Chris Jent.

The Lakers are hiring Atlanta Hawks assistant Chris Jent to become the top assistant coach, sources tell ESPN. New coach Darvin Ham recruited Jent over the past week to lead his staff. Jent has a strong history with LeBron James from early Cleveland years.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2022

After working under three head coaches over five years, Jent is leaving for Los Angeles. His friend and former coworker Darvin Ham was recently hired as the Lakers' head coach. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham is now bringing Jent on to serve as an assistant coach on his staff.

Jent and Ham worked together for one season as part of the legendary Mike Budenholzer coaching staff. It's no surprise that both coaches are succeeding in the league. However, it just left a huge hole in the Hawks coaching staff.

Atlanta Hawks head coach will have to find a replacement for assistant coach Chris Jent / Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

When head coach Nate McMillan missed games due to Covid during the 2021-22 season, Jent filled in as the acting head coach in all but one contest. In addition to being a top-ranked assistant, Jent is credited for his player development skills. He worked with power forward John Collins on his outside shooting. But even better, Jent had a strong working relationship with LeBron James during their time in Cleveland.

It has already been an exciting off-season for the Hawks. Last week, they promoted Landry Fields to the position of general manager. Now they must find a new assistant coach capable of filling the big shoes of Chris Jent. Not to mention, their roster still has to be upgraded. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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