Kenny Atkinson officially hired as Cleveland Cavaliers next head coach

The Cavaliers have officially hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach.

The team confirmed the hiring Friday afternoon. Atkinson was in Paris recently, which created the delay between the official announcement and the initial reports he would replace J.B. Bickerstaff as Cavs coach.

Atkinson arrived in Cleveland late Tuesday night, roughly 24 hours before they were drafting Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

“I am thrilled and honored to be named head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Atkinson said in a statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to lead an already talented young roster with an equally bright future. I’ve seen firsthand and had to prepare for this group as an opposing coach, and the task was not easy.

"I’m so excited to now be on this side of the ledger to help continue moving this team forward. I also want to thank Koby Altman and the front office for having the confidence in me and the shared vision we have for sustainable success in Cleveland."

Atkinson, 57, becomes the 24th head coach in franchise history. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors and will serve as an assistant coach with the French National Team in the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer.

Atkinson also has head coaching experience in his past, having led the Brooklyn Nets for three-plus seasons between 2016 and 2020. The 2018-19 Nets made the playoffs but were ousted 4-1 by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.

“We conducted a thorough and extensive search in the selecting of the next head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and today, we are excited to welcome Kenny Atkinson to Northeast Ohio,” Altman, Cavaliers president of basketball operations, said in a statement. “Kenny brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of player development, and a relentless work ethic that aligns with the vision we have for this franchise.

"His innovative approach will instill a style of play and brand of basketball that will give us a chance for sustainable success and ultimately compete for Championships. His familiarity coaching alongside some of the NBA’s best elevates this partnership and we are excited that Kenny will guide our team and help us achieve our goals both on and off the court.”

While Atkinson brings more of an offensive philosophy to Cleveland, the Cavs are coming off consecutive playoff appearances with the defensive-minded Bickerstaff.

The Cavs made the playoffs in the 2022-23 season as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, but lost in the opening round in five games to the fifth-seeded New York Knicks. They returned to the postseason again this past season as a No. 4 seed and survived a first-round series against the Orlando Magic by winning a Game 7 at home before falling in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in five games.