Report: Hawks Assistant Ronald Nored Leaving To Take Top Mid-Major Job In College Basketball

The Hawks are going to be down an assistant coach as Ronald Nored is taking a job at the collegiate level

Ronald Nored, former Butler basketball player, gives a speech during Butler University's hall of fame ceremony Thursday, September 9, 2021, at Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University in Indianapolis. Sports Butler Basketball Hall Of Fame | Grace Hollars/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be losing one of their assistant coaches. According to multiple reports, Hawks assistant Ronald Nored is going to be heading back to his alma mater to take the head coaching job with the Butler Bulldogs, one of the top mid-major jobs in the country. Butler's job opened with Thad Matta decided to retire and it had been rumored since the job came open that Nored was going to be a candidate.

Butler is hiring Ronald Nored as the school’s next coach, source confirms to me and @jeffborzello. He’s a longtime NBA assistant.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 25, 2026

Nored was in his third season as an assistant coach with the Hawks. He came to Atlanta after spending the prior two seasons on the Indiana Pacers’ coaching staff following three years with the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hawks’ summer league head coach in 2024, Nored held the same position previously with Indiana (2022) and Charlotte (2019).

The former head coach of the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League, Nored also spent time with the Maine Red Claws. He began his coaching career at Brownsburg High School near Indianapolis.

Nored played collegiately at Butler University, where he helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back National Championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011. He was a two-time Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year.

This is going to be an interesting hire for the Bulldogs as they try and get back to being a consistent NCAA Tournament threat. Butler was one of the top programs in college basketball when Brad Stevens was the head coach and they were able to make back-to-back national championships and almost pulling off a stunning upset against Duke in 2010.

Butler has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2018.

The Hawks are now going to be tasked with replacing an assistant coach on their staff, but that is not going to be the top concern for this team right now. That will be an offseason priority for head coach Quin Snyder and the rest of his staff.

Right now, the Hawks are focused on trying to make a push for the playoffs. This team is 14-2 since the All-Star Break and they head into a tough matchup tonight against the Detroit Pistons. This Hawks team has experienced quite a turnaround since the All-Star break, but they are going to be facing a daunting schedule over the last ten games, including multiple games against the Celtics and Cavaliers, tonight's game against the Pistons, and important matchups against the Heat and Magic.